Category Archives: Pets and Animals

Out and About

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The baby chicks aren’t really babies anymore and really don’t belong in a (human) house all day long. So, we’ve been letting them spend most days in the greenhouse when we are at work and then we take them in at night since it can still be down in the high 30s at night

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This weekend, though, it was such a nice day that we decided to let them out in the main yard. We weren’t sure how the big chickens would treat them, and I was (am) a little overprotective of them. They are still only about 5 weeks old. But they are looking little miniature chickens now already! They grow so fast!

The chickens were much more interested in their food than they were in the chicks themselves. It does look as though we have one that will be competing with Henrietta as the top chicken. She is the barred rock (black and white one) in the video. She is still being told who’s the boss of the yard, but it will be interesting to see how that pans out as she gets bigger.

Also, here are a few pictures from around the yard. This weekend we finally got some nice weather -it has been so windy for all of April.

I think these are called grape hyacinths


The tulips have been blooming for about a month!


So have the dandelions

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Fun with Spring Chicks

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The chicks are now about 3 weeks old and getting big fast. They are outgrowing the box but we haven’t found a bigger one yet. So, instead we’ve been taking them into the greenhouse each day so they can run around in the seedlings and new plants and under our watchful eye.


Smile!


Hiding out in the cinder block

They are so funny how they flap around, peck and Britton said he even saw them dust bathing! We also found that they scurry around and hide if I talk in a high voice as you can see in this video. They must think it’s a hawk or something. The black one doesn’t care as much. Everyone wanted in the greenhouse to see what was going on-Kitty, Schnoodle and the big chickens. The only one we trust completely with them at this age is Schnoodle. She could care less about them.

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Week Old Chicks

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The chicks are about a week and a half old now. They grow super fast. They are already trying to fly out of the box. They’ve grown feathers on their wings and tails and the rest is filling in too. It’s fun to watch them grow and change.They are a little hardier too, so I am not as worried about them. As they grow feathers they are not as vulnerable to chills.

One day when it was really warm in the room when they were just a couple days old, I turned off the heat lamp for a little while. When I returned they were all huddled together, and one was in the water dish shivering. I had to hold her and fluff her up under the heat lamp to get her back feeling good. I was scared there for a moment! But everything’s good now and I am not quite as concerned. Each day they are a little stronger and more independent. Right now, they are peeping contentedly behind me.

Just thought you might like a “little” chick update.


Hanging out in their box under the heat lamp


Britton holding them

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Out with the Old…

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Well, old Omelette  is gone. She was our first ever chicken here at the old homestead. We got her and Black Chicken and together they were Salt and Pepper. Pepper died so we renamed “Salt” to Omelette. She was an ornery old chicken and we never were able to hold her or pet her since she was not hand raised. She never trusted us or really even came close to us, but everyone lived harmoniously. She is even the chicken on the header of this website!

But ever since she started laying strange, shell-less eggs, then stopped laying completely, and finally being mean and broody on a nest of unfertilized eggs, we decided she was ready for a new home. We posted an ad on Craigslist and found a home where chickens like her can live out the rest of their days on a farm scratching around.

The person even told us to come visit the farm and see her there. You never know if they are actually going to eat her, but that is always a valid option. I eat meat, I even eat chickens. I just haven’t gotten up to the actual killing part. So this worked out really well.

…And in with the New!

Britton said if we got rid of her that we could get some new chicks. That was another motivating factor. We thought we would just get 2 more, but the first store didn’t have any Ameraucanas/Americanas, so now we have three! They are so sweet.We have a Barred Plymouth Rock, another Leghorn (Omelette 2), and the Ameraucana. Take a look!


The three chicks on a chair


Two in a bowl -Yin Yang -esque


One miniature Omelette

 

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