My Aunt Carole

More and more my mom says I'm reminding her of my Aunt Carole. She says it because of getting the chickens and wanting goats and wanting to raise my own livestock in general. My aunt and uncle had a nice hobby farm when I was young. I loved to go there and see the goats. In fact, I tell everyone that it's my Uncle Tom's fault that I want goats so badly now. I don't really have any clear specific memories of their farm. I just remember that I loved going there. Their life seemed so different and fun and simple.

Now I'm raising my own family and I think about those simple things. I live in the country and our little piece of land is something to cherish. I love that we will have our own chickens for both the meat and the eggs. I hope it will teach my children something about responsibility and the circle of life.

The garden is growing and I'm excited to know that my hard work will provide healthy food for our table. Yes, I said hard work. Simple is peaceful, but it's far from easy much of the time. But the rewards are so much sweeter when it's your sweat and energy going into it.

So back to my Aunt Carole. I don't mind my mom saying I remind her of Aunt Carole. I'd be hard pressed to find a woman more loving and caring than my Aunt Carole. So Aunt Carole if you are reading this, I love you.

They sure grow fast

The chicks are quickly out growing their little brooder boxes. What I thought would for sure get us through the first four weeks, may not get us through THIS week. So Rob and I are trying to figure out what to do now. The coop is not moved or anywhere near ready for the chicks. Yet they clearly can't stay where they are much longer.

I'm thinking it might work to design a chicken tractor that I can put a removable USB bottom in to use until the coop is ready. Then we can just take the bottom out down the road and have a tractor for use in the yard and garden. It would defiantly be much easier if we didn't have a cat. She hasn't tried anything yet, but I'm sure if the chicks were left unattended long with out the lids on the brooders, she would have a snack. I can't fault her for that though. She is an excellent mouser and that's one of the reasons we have her.

The chicks are also starting to really love getting treats. Jade has been giving them fresh basil leaves and today she picked some grass for them. We also got to see our very first full out dust bath today. Prior to now, they would just take turns sitting in the sand and pecking at it. Today the chick that is feathering the fastest threw herself right in the middle and flopped all over. I think she would have stayed right there for a nap when she was done if the other chicks would have let her.

Chicken for dinner

My in-laws were up for dinner tonight. While it was great to have the company, there was something nagging in the back of my mind the whole time. The chicks are being brooded in the dining room and we had chicken for dinner. Was that somehow insensitive? Even worse, Megan and Jade got a couple chicks out after dinner, and Megan tried to feed one the remainder of her pulled chicken sandwich. (The chick wanted nothing to do with it.)

At any rate, here are the chicks on the table:


And here's a shot of some in one of the brooders that I thought was nice:


And finally, here's a picture of Braden since I haven't posted any of him yet. He hasn't held the chicks yet, except for snatching one briefly off his sisters lap once, but he is quite fascinated with them.


I will be so glad when the chicks are comfortable at room temperature. It's not quite warm enough for them without the heat lamp. But it's much hotter than we would like it to be in the house because of the heat lamp. I think in the future, any chicks that are being brooded in the house will have to be bought much earlier in the year. Any chicks that come this late in the season will have to be brooded in the coop or the garage.