They Grow Up So Fast!

Mom and babies went out for a stroll this afternoon and I took a few quick pics of them. I can't believe they are only two weeks old - they look so grown up! It's fascinating to watch her teach them chicken stuff. Scratching, bugs, etc. So fun!

Baby Chicks!

Well, I would love to have posted my wonderful Garden Sprite Gothic Arch, but I am totally obsessing over this! One of our hens started setting three weeks ago. We were a bit worried - we'd gotten rid of our roosters about a week prior. I had read that the sperm can live quite awhile in the hen's uh, tract (oh the things you learn when you have chickens!), so we knew there was a chance they could be fertile.

We are very new to this whole chicken thing and didn't do any of the things you're supposed to. We pretty much just left her alone and hoped for the best. We were thrilled when, yesterday evening, we found an empty shell and spotted a little dark chick behind her in the nest box. This morning there was one more! Just now I went to check on them and found this wee baby, fresh out of the shell. She/he was pretty exhausted.

Now we are overrun with chickens! My husband (against my semi-strong protests) ordered another 17 chicks and 3 turkeys that arrived on the 6th. They're in the garage. Oh, and my daughter brought home a little banty chick from the feed store @ Easter. He's living in my studio. In a box - not free ranging w/the ink and stamps. ;-)

Maybe we need a Gothic Arches Chicken theme??? I could totally get into that.

Which Came First?

Announcing: Egg! We finally have our first egg! I feel like a proud parent, it's kind of embarrassing really.....isn't it gorgeous though? We got our Ameraucana/Araucana chicks in June. I had given up hope that we would have any eggs before Spring. We keep checking those nest boxes though and lo and behold, today I found an egg! It is an absolutely beautiful shade of aqua. Now I'll be out there every hour - forgive me if this blog turns into nothing but egg pictures. I've never been a scrapbooker, despite having two lovely children and boxes of pictures, but I can see albums of eggs in my future.