Chickens on the only patch of snow-free ground, under the rabbitry.

Well, it’s still snowy here. Snow over a substantial layer of muck and mud, that is. Which is why, I imagine, I slipped and almost fell out walking the dogs this afternoon. Fortunately, I didn’t QUITE totally fall, into the slushy goop (with an unseen but present layer of chicken poop), but in catching myself, I threw my back out a bit.

The joys of getting older.

However, all of this was totally mitigated when E came home to say the ‘chicks are in‘ sign was up at the Farm and Garden just down the road. Baby chickens are irresistible. So irresistible, in fact, that despite the fact we HAVE six lovely hens, five of which are laying and one who’s gonna start any day, AND the fact that we own both an incubator and a rooster, which means all our eggs are fertile and can be hatched out at our leisure (for free)…

Well, they had DIFFERENT KINDS than we already have. Buff Orpintons, which were the first chicken I really wanted, and Welsummers, and Rhode Island Reds, all of which we don’t have! All of these breeds are dual purpose (so good for both meat and eggs) and they were only 3 bucks apiece, plus my back is out and I’m suffering from the monthly estrogen poisoning.

So we bought some. You know how it is, don’t you?

Only three, and three of our gals will likely be retiring at the end of summer, right when these are coming online in the egg production area. And, while we could totally grow out some more hens from our own stock, that would leave us with a surplus of roosters again, and not enough time to get them to slaughter age before we leave for the summer job.

Plus, I love having chicks in the house. They change so fast, and their little peeps are so charming…I was sad we’d decided to not do a spring hatch, even if it made good sense.

I am totally clear this is nothing more than chicken justification, and an impulse buy, but I don’t care.

I am a Welsummer Chicken, but I don’t yet have a name.

Look how cute they are!

Until the next time,

~Fae