today was a very exciting day for all of us over here. we went and picked out our baby chicks this afternoon. the excitement and pure joy that took over juj and plum was truly a sight to see. birdie was excited as well but of course didn't fully comprehend that these five baby chicks were coming home to stay and grow and live with us. she does think they are pretty swell though.
we were hoping to find silkies but the wabash store did not have any at the moment and would not be getting any in for some time. i spoke with a very helpful man at the feed store who answered any further questions i had and helped us choose the best breed for our family. we went with the black australorp pullets. they are known to be very good egg layers. we got to hand pick our favorite chicks. plum made sure to only get ones that did not peck at her hands when she reached into the cage. we chose five because we want to end up with 3 or 4 to start and we were told that most likely two out of five will die as chicks. the plan is to get comfortable with our first round of chickens and then in the future add more. we think six is a pretty good number for our family.
we each got to pick a name for one of our new chicks. plum named one peekie. julian named one yoko and birdie's is named pingu, after a show about a little penguin named pingu that looks kinda like our baby chicks. aubrey and i haven't decided on the last two names just yet.
the chicks will be kept inside under the heat lamp for another month and a half. during that time we will all, including the kids, build a snazzy little coop for them in back out of wood and chicken wire. it will look something like this, just not as big. we are all thrilled about our new venture in chicken keeping. i can hear their little chirps as i type and it brings a smile to my face. i am so happy that we are able to give our children this gift. that might sounds corny, but i would have loved to have had chickens when i was a young girl and i think that the learning experience, responsibilty and rewards from having them will be huge. i look forward to sharing more with you on these little ladies as time goes by. it will be quite a few months until our hens start laying eggs, but i am excited. there is nothing like a fresh egg in my opinion.
do any of you have chickens? any advice for new keepers? i would love to hear how you do it.
also... the giveaway came to a close tonight and i have the winners for you!
the canon lewis starfish necklace winner is
the three miszko maszko doll winners are
and the pixie lily gift certificate winner is
congratulations to you all and thank you to our incredible sponsors for your generosity.
