Thursday, June 18, 2009

Introducing: Our First Flock

I don't actually like the pictures I have of the chicks, so I'll have to take some more tomorrow. I do have this little video we took right after we settled them in their temporary home.


Kansas Dad has already upgraded their bedding to cedar chips and fortified their base. Now he just needs to build their outdoor homes so we can get them foraging. I think they should be out in their Chicken Tractor in about two weeks. Then Kansas Dad will have to build something a bit more elaborate for the hens so we can collect the eggs.

These are Buff Orpingtons. Kansas Dad ordered 10 males and 15 females. He's planning to butcher all but one of the males and keep all or most of the females for eggs (and more chicks). They were just two days old when Kansas Dad picked them up at the post office, looking a lot like this.

If all goes well, we'll have oodles of eggs in about six months. I hope Father likes eggs because I imagine we'll be dropping some of those extras off at the rectory. We also plan to share with our neighbor. With a rooster around, you have to foster all the good will you can.