Chicks! (Part II)

Those little buggers in the previous post look a lot different now, and they’re still growing… fast!

and they really love kale.

REALLY.

Which is fine with me, because it’s the one vegetable that was hardy enough to survive the entire winter with no protection whatsoever, and can be harvested fresh and given to them as a treat a few times a week. They go nuts – the little gal in the above photo will even run up to me now.

Chicks!

Yesterday, we got our shipment of 15 day-old chicks.

I got them from Mt. Healthy Hatchery, which was recommended to me when I was pricing supplies. I would’ve gotten chicks locally, but I specifically wanted Wyandottes, and I have yet to find someone around here that has them to sell to me.

I put in for 5 Golden Laced Wyandottes, 5 Silver Laced Wyandottes, and 5 ‘Easter Eggers’, which are basically a mutt breed of chicken that lays colored eggs (pale blue or greenish, usually). Both breeds are good to very good layers and are also large enough for meat purposes if desired. They are also supposed to be very cold tolerant and have good/fun temperaments.

They are currently under a heat lamp in my makeshift brooder, and all seem to be vigorous, eating, drinking, and doing just fine. I’ve wiped off a few fluffy butts just to make sure they don’t get caked up, but other than that there are no issues. Fingers crossed.