New Additions

I have recently taken the plunge and decided to try my hand at back yard chickens. I am so happy! I have wanted to keep chickens for two or three years now, and this year I finally did it. I had fun reading up on back yard chickens and deciding on which breeds I'd like to have. I couldn't believe how much information was out there! The other hitch in my giddy-up has been the fact that we live within city limits. Come to find out, our city did not have an ordinance in place for back yard chickens, but just a couple of weeks ago it was finalized so I went ahead and got my chicks.

Nan. She is the calmest and sweetest. I could hold her all day! She is a Dominique.

Bertie is a close second to Nan. She is also very sweet and doesn't mind being held at all. She is also a Dominique.

Stella. As you can see, she's not exactly excited. Stella is a Buff Orpington. Buffs are considered the "wimps" of the chicken world, and therefore they are supposed to be very docile. I have not found this to be true yet, as my Dominique's are way more laid back than my Buffs. We shall see!

Butterscotch is the bossiest of the bunch. She squawks when I pick her up, and even flaps her wings, but eventually she calms down.

The girls in their brooder. The lighting is weird because they are under a red heat lamp. They need it to be nice and toasty. Tomorrow they will be two weeks old, and are definitely entering the "tween" phase of life. They are about 2/3 feathers and 1/3 chick fluff right now, so they look pretty weird.

One more picture of Nan because she is so darn cute. When I hold her, she even closes her eyes and dozes off.

They will be living inside, in their cardboard box, until they are at least 6 weeks old and fully feathered. A coop still needs to be built, and I am excited about that! If all goes well, they should start laying eggs in September! Between baking and general egg-eating, I go through about 2 dozen eggs per week, so it will be wonderful to be getting those eggs from my own chickens that I am raising myself.