Chicklets
How does someone get hooked on having chickens? The chicklets, of course!! At least that's where it all starts. I have 18 hens and 1 rooster here on our little ranch. This is definitely the maximum number I would have because I'm not interested in feeding a chicken army. Last year I let 2 of my hens hatch out a few eggs. It was kind of amazing and fun. But I ended up with 2 roosters out of 5 chicks. Finding good new homes for extra roosters isn't easy, so this year I didn't want to take that chance.
Off to the feed store for Chick Days!! We all wait for that, don't we? They had ordered sexed chicks this year so I felt hopeful I wouldn't get any roosters. To better my odds, I chose 4 Sex Links which can easily be sexed based on color.
Here are a few photos of my girls as they moved from their baby digs into their first big girl house, separate from the hens. Some people think this is their ugly duckling stage, but these are some of my favorite photos because they have such funny expressions at this age. And those new feathers make for such bad hair days.
Off to the feed store for Chick Days!! We all wait for that, don't we? They had ordered sexed chicks this year so I felt hopeful I wouldn't get any roosters. To better my odds, I chose 4 Sex Links which can easily be sexed based on color.
Here are a few photos of my girls as they moved from their baby digs into their first big girl house, separate from the hens. Some people think this is their ugly duckling stage, but these are some of my favorite photos because they have such funny expressions at this age. And those new feathers make for such bad hair days.
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| Baby Buff Orpingtons |
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| Sex Link |
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| Little Buff |
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| Lovely Wellsummer |
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| Trying the Ramp These girls are now six months old and laying eggs. Chickens have such personality, they really add a lot to a farm. I will introduce you to the others very soon. But right now, of course, I have to go out and feed the donkeys. Happy Thursday! |
Comments
if you check out my 'camera gear' page, you can see the 70-300 mm lens i use. i like it because of the added macro setting which allows me decent macro shots w/o having to buy a devoted lens for that! :)
I recently ordered 26 chicks and they will arrive in two weeks. LONGEST two weeks of my life!
Great shots too!
Once or twice we let them hatch out their own..the first time to experience it (almost ended up with about 4 roosters!) and the next simply because a wayward hen (part Bantam and part Aracauna, and all wild)hid and hatched her own. That was the last straw..out of 3 (or the 16 eggs we found!) hatched and 2 were roosters..and t took quite a while to round them up.. I was GIVING eggs away and then they started refusing them!
This time I only got 5..to add to the 5 older hens and one rooster flock we still had. NOW they are coming out of the wood work asking when they are going too start laying!
I LOVE chickens..I lost my horse (and debate if I should get another ..or two) but I will never be without chickens if can help it...