Chickens & Ducks

Work has been kicking my butt lately. But I could make a 40 hr week complaining about THAT so let's just move along - to beedy eyed, feathered critters!

It is migration season - spring has officially sprung, despite the snow storm yesterday. Travis and I took his momma down to the valley to see all the migrating cranes, geese and ducks.





Look how big the coos duck's feet are!



On Tuesday we went down to the ranch store and got 15 little peepers. We got three different kinds - New Hampshire Reds, Black Australorp, and Barred Rock. All the chirping noises makes the cat very edgy. For now we are keeping them in a big box in the garage, when they are too big for that, it should be warmer and they will move outside.



Right now they are still so little and soft but it won't be long until they are big enough to go to their coop outside. Chicks are fairly low maintenance. A large box with high walls and sawdust is enough for their home. They just need plenty of chick food - medicated is best because they could have a disease that they will spread to everyone else. They also go through a lot of water and will kick their sawdust and poo into the water, so you need to make sure they have enough clean water. At this size the dumb things can drown, so you cannot give them too much open water. Our garage isn't heated so we have a heat lamp over their box. If they get too cold they will huddle together and can smother each other.

Chickens like to peck. If they peck another chicken hard enough to draw blood, it is important to take the hurt chicken away from other chicks - into solitary! Chickens can peck a hurt chicken to death. The only other thing you have to check on is their little chicken bums. If they have poo stuck their they can get plugged up and die. Actually seeing all this written out makes chicken care sound a lot harder than it is! They are really very easy and in a few months they will be providing lots of yummy fresh eggs and hopefully even some egg money!



It's still cold but sunny so we are headed off to go fishing!! Or, more accurately, Travis will fish and I will curl up in a camp chair and read a book in the sun. What a great way to spend an afternoon.