My peeps

The one in the middle is my favorite.
I think s/he is an Ameraucauna.

A few weeks ago we got chicks from Orscheln. Twenty five total: ten Rhode Island Red pullets for eggs, and fifteen "frying pan specials". I think some of the frying pan chicks are hens though, so we may end up with a few extra egg-layers. There's one (to the right) that is my favorite and I'm going to keep it whether it's a hen or rooster.

When I was a kid we had chickens for eggs, and we would always get the extra free chicks if we bought a bag or two of feed in the Spring (I think long gone are the days of free chicks). So I grew up knowing what it was like to be around chickens but I never spent a lot of time around them or took care of them much.

This time around they chicks are pretty much my livestock, my wards. And it's really rewarding already. When I go out to feed them, they all come running. Even if I don't fill their feeder, they're all there, peeping and pecking and filling their craws. It really is cute. And it makes me feel good that they at least see me as their source of food. I think it's going to be interesting to see how they develop over the next few months.

Jake checking out his peeps.

We also got two Great Pyrenees/Anatolian mix puppies a few months ago, Belle and Jake, and hopefully they will be guarding the chickens (and the sheep when we get them up to the farm finally). Jake is fascinated by the chicks but just sits by and watches them calmly.

We're probably going to have extra eggs in a few months, so keep that in mind if you want any!