This year in addition to fruits & vegetables, we're adding something new to our garden: chickens! Despite the fact that I love animals, I've always had a slight fear of birds. I think this can be traced back to some traumatic childhood experiences. Once while riding my bike, an enormous black crow swooped down & plucked hair from my head & knocked me to the ground. Also, as a young teen, I was chased daily by a pair of swans, who would follow & peck at me when I sailed past their nest. I've also had some negative experiences with angry geese & roosters. Surprisingly, when our local feed store mentioned that they had chicks for sale, with very little prodding from the kids, I quickly agreed. I learned a couple interesting facts: The reason you can get 1 day old chicks is because they don't nurse & are separated from the hens before they hatch. Also, they can determine the sex of a newborn chick with over 90% accuracy. This is important because many people want eggs only, not baby chicks & many neighborhoods don't allow roosters.
The chicks have been delightful, funny, friendly, EASY pets so far. We have seven: 2 Buff Orpingtons (Sally & Omelette), 1 Plymouth Barred Rock (Spot), 1 Black Sex-Link (Dot), 1 Americauna (Dot) & 2 Black Silkies- pictured above (Disco & Daiquiri). I'll fill you in on their personalities & more as we undertake our adventure in farm fresh eggs!!
Follow Me on Twitter: twitter.com/Erin_Murphy
