Chicks, Man

I couldn't resist that title as "The Soup" was one of my favorite shows to watch before we got rid of cable. Anyways. We have chicks! I called the local feed stores and were delighted to learn they had pullets (girl baby chicks). Off I went with the kids to pick some out. They only had three breeds so I got one of each with the hope of finding two different breeds at the other store nearby. Sure enough the other store had two different breeds. So we brought home five baby chicks.

This time round I got a nice assortment of breeds, whereas last time (back in 2010) I just got Silver Laced Wyandottes and Araucanas. From left to right in the above picture: Buff Brahma, Brown Leghorn, Black Sex Link, Ideal 236 & Red Hampshire. Interesting facts (at least interesting to me), the Black Sex Link Hybrid is when they mix two heritage breeds, usually a Rhode Island Red Rooster and a Barred Rock Hen, to produce color sexable offspring. The male chicks have light colored neck feathers, female won't. The other interesting chick is the Ideal 236 (the little whitish chick front right). It's a hybrid chicken produced for its extreme egg laying potential. They will nearly lay an egg a day. The lady at the feed store said they aren't as popular in the farm yard because they lay white eggs, most small scale farmers like brown eggs. I found that strange since it's what's in the egg that matters, not the color of the container. So my new chicks will give me white and brown eggs to add to the greenish eggs I'm already getting. It will be fun to have a variety of colors. I'm excited!

Greta and Wesley find it fun to look at the little peepers. I'm keeping the brooder upstairs in the bird room this time round. It was in the living room last time and the chicken dust was nasty. I'm trying to decide who is louder, the cockatiels or the chicks. They have these little chirping / squawking sessions.....it's a bit loud.

Today Greta and I went outside to collect fallen branches to make a perch the babies can sit on. We'll see if they actually use it. Anyways, that's what we're up to.