I am brand new at raising chickens, and my first three girls are 9 weeks old. Two are Silver Spangled Hamburgs, and I have no idea what the third one is. She's bigger and has a single comb, gray feathers, blue/gray feet, and red ears. When they were only about 2 weeks old, they were helping me weed the garden. When the sun started to set, they started making a strange sound, so I sat down on the grass near them. They promptly climbed into my lap and settled down to sleep. I was amazed, and utterly delighted. They'll do it every evening if I'm outside with them.
I 'inherited' an incubator from a fellow teacher, and since I was having so much fun with the first three chicks, I got 6 Black Copper Marans eggs on Ebay. Only one hatched, unfortunately, but it's a feisty little critter that follows me around the yard at the ripe old age of 9 days. Based on what I've been reading here, I think it's a pullet, but we'll have to wait and see. Right now it looks like a Hobbit penguin, so I named it Merry (think Pippin, Frodo...)
I discovered BYC while searching for coop ideas, and the wealth of information has been extremely helpful. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this treasure!! I keep coming back, and always find answers to my 'beginner' questions about all kinds of chicken things.
When I'm not playing with the chicks, I tend an expanding vegetable garden, play the bodhran (Irish drum) and sing in a Celtic band, and enjoy a variety of visual arts- pottery, watercolor, basketry, calligraphy, silver-smithing, needle arts, etc. I also teach various art forms at my church's youth camps. I have a life-long interest in herpetology, and do some volunteer work with a local nature center. I've been catchin' frogs and tadpoles for over half a century!!
During the school year I teach elementary gifted students at an environmental magnet school. Our motto is "No Child Left Indoors". Really!! Camping is also part of our curriculum. I have three grown kids; the youngest is 21 and living at home while he finishes college. My daughter is an architectural engineer, and she approved my chicken coop plans. The eldest son is trying to decide what he's going to be when he grows up.
I've finally decided I'm going to be retired when I grow up, so I'll have more time for the fun stuff. I'll also have more chickens. I'm hooked!!!
I 'inherited' an incubator from a fellow teacher, and since I was having so much fun with the first three chicks, I got 6 Black Copper Marans eggs on Ebay. Only one hatched, unfortunately, but it's a feisty little critter that follows me around the yard at the ripe old age of 9 days. Based on what I've been reading here, I think it's a pullet, but we'll have to wait and see. Right now it looks like a Hobbit penguin, so I named it Merry (think Pippin, Frodo...)
I discovered BYC while searching for coop ideas, and the wealth of information has been extremely helpful. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this treasure!! I keep coming back, and always find answers to my 'beginner' questions about all kinds of chicken things.
When I'm not playing with the chicks, I tend an expanding vegetable garden, play the bodhran (Irish drum) and sing in a Celtic band, and enjoy a variety of visual arts- pottery, watercolor, basketry, calligraphy, silver-smithing, needle arts, etc. I also teach various art forms at my church's youth camps. I have a life-long interest in herpetology, and do some volunteer work with a local nature center. I've been catchin' frogs and tadpoles for over half a century!!
During the school year I teach elementary gifted students at an environmental magnet school. Our motto is "No Child Left Indoors". Really!! Camping is also part of our curriculum. I have three grown kids; the youngest is 21 and living at home while he finishes college. My daughter is an architectural engineer, and she approved my chicken coop plans. The eldest son is trying to decide what he's going to be when he grows up.
I've finally decided I'm going to be retired when I grow up, so I'll have more time for the fun stuff. I'll also have more chickens. I'm hooked!!!
