Monday, February 8, 2010

They're Back!


A friend is enamored with a special breed of chicken, the Sicilian Buttercup, and the only way she could get these chicks was by mail ordering them. When you mail order chicks, you have to buy 25 at a time so the chicks stay warm in transit. I agreed to take some of the birds since Maryann did not want so many babies. Maryann ordered a random assortment of chickens along with four Sicilian Buttercups, two for me and two for her.

When the postal clerk delivered the box on Friday, one bird, a Sicilian Buttercup no less, was dead. That left us with 22 birds because the company sent us only 23 birds. I took 11 chicks as I will be raising two for Joe, our beekeeping friend. I took the weakest looking Sicilian Buttercup and despite my valiant efforts, the sweet thing died last night.
Concord Feed, our local animal food store, will receive their first shipment of chicks next week so I will pick up another bird for Joe. He wants a white and black one so I will get him the "Elvis" breed, the Light Brahma. I will give Joe his chicks as soon as this flock is ready to move outside.

Below is a photo of my birds. The Sicilian Buttercup is in the right hand corner. I will be raising two Silver Lace Wyandottes, a Rhode Island Red, two Buff Orphingtons, a brown leghorn, two Ameraucanas (these lay the green/blue eggs) and a barred rock.

During the past few weeks I have been planting bushes and vines to reduce the noise and visibility of the chicken yard. I am very excited about being a chicken mother again! I have been telling my old girls about these new babies so that they will be ready for them in a couple of months!