Baby Chicks

We decided that it would be a great idea to get baby chicks last year since we already had a nice large chicken coop that we wanted to put to good use.  It was so fun...at least at first while they were still a novelty.  Like any animal they are fun to have around but definitely an added responsibility to the current list. I noticed one morning that they were really cold and huddled together.  I looked at the lamp and it was on low so I turned it up to medium.  An hour or so later I came back and they were nearly dead from heat!  Apparently I accidentally turned it up to the highest setting without realizing.  After spritzing them with cool water and turning off the heat the chicks soon perked up and put my mind at ease.

After about six months the chickens started laying eggs, small ones at first of course, eventually they were huge!  They were always good entertainment for Halle and I.  I was very ignorant when it came to having chickens.  I assumed that we (meaning Jason) would kill and then cook them in the fall.  What really happens is that you keep them for years until they die naturally.  I had zero desire to tramp out to the chicken coop in the middle of the winter to feed them, keep them warm, and collect their eggs.  Luckily our nice neighbors adopted them for us.

I almost forgot to mention, one night Jason came home to a lot of squawking.  He went into the coop to find only three of the four chickens frantically running about.  The fourth chicken may she rest in peace was scattered all over the coop and a large skunk was still sitting in the corner finishing the last of his dinner.  Sad day.