Who wants to see my chicks?

The babies are getting so big! The are a week old now and they are getting real feathers.

Buffy

Nugget

Mrs. Feather-Bottom

Tinkerbell

Kevin

It really is amazing how much they have grown. Still baby chicks, but no longer the little puff balls you first showed us.

LOL There's no doubt that they grow fast! It looks like you'll be able to tell them apart though. We got six chicks (Barred Rocks) last year about this time, and now we don't have a clue who is who-they all look the same! I guess we should have banded them.

They're so cute! I wish I could have some chickens, when we move I want some, not for the poo though, I want eggs, mmmmmmm. I love the names too, though, one question, why did "Kevin" get such an ordinary name?

Sooooo cute. Bet they will be tasty too when they get a bit bigger .

Gwynn

kimbertangleknot wrote:They're so cute! I wish I could have some chickens, when we move I want some, not for the poo though, I want eggs, mmmmmmm. I love the names too, though, one question, why did "Kevin" get such an ordinary name?

Kevin is named after my Brother-in-Law. I always told him that my next pet would be named Kevin because it's a silly name for a pet. Can you imagine me out there hollering "Kevin... here chicky, chicky. Come on Kevin, you want some wormies?"

Aahh! Gwynn we can't eat our pets! But they can make us breakfast!

Aub wrote:

kimbertangleknot wrote:They're so cute! I wish I could have some chickens, when we move I want some, not for the poo though, I want eggs, mmmmmmm. I love the names too, though, one question, why did "Kevin" get such an ordinary name?

Kevin is named after my Brother-in-Law. I always told him that my next pet would be named Kevin because it's a silly name for a pet. Can you imagine me out there hollering "Kevin... here chicky, chicky. Come on Kevin, you want some wormies?"

Aahh! Gwynn we can't eat our pets! But they can make us breakfast!

Haha, that's awesome.

Sooorrrrryyyyyy! LOL! I couldn't help myself. sometimes I feel just a little bit wicked My cousin and I would name the chickens when we were kids and then cry when it was time for them to be turned into stew or soup which, on the farm, was eventually their fate after a couple of years of giving us breakfast.

Gwynn

They are SO cute! I bought chicks last year, can't have any more for a while.

I know chickens are used for eggs but do they eat bugs to? are they good to have around the garden or will the eat the plants? are they easy to take care of or?

They'll eat bugs, but they scratch as they eat so they damage gardens. They're great for cleaning up the grubs, etc., from soil in the spring, but after that they need to be kept out of the garden. My neighbor had a bunch of chickens that used to run loose but she put in some landscaping and got sick of them spreading her mulch all over the place, so they're confined now

I don't know about ease of care. The biggest problem my neighbor has is predators, so my husband is going to build us a Fort Knox for chickens before we give it a try *giggle*

We had chickens one year when we lived out of town. They are not really that hard to take care of but they are not too smart. They knocked down their heat lamp on Christmas eve.....I have NO idea how they managed that but it started a fire in the coop. After throwing one chicken outside twice....she kept running back IN the burning smokey coop....she finally died.

Because of the predators and the fact that I don't like chicken poop all over the front porch, we kept ours confined. And the predators they draw....weasels, coyotes, foxes, hawks, etc. We killed more animals that one year than we did in the rest of our thirty some years of marriage put together. And like any other animal/pet you have, you need to make sure they have food and water. they dump their food and water dishes over if they aren't nailed down. If you go away, you need to have someone check them everyday. They eat bugs and veggie scraps. But we enjoyed them and the eggs they gave us.

Gwynn

Well, here are the babies. It looks like they are starting to go through their awkward teenage weeks.
Buffy- starting to get her comb. She'd better be a she!

Nugget- stretching to see where her sisters are.

Mrs. Feather-Bottom- starting to get her silver lacing on her wings.

Kevin- oh... Kevin!

Tinkerbell- She is our flyer. I was sitting next to the new chick house and she tried to fly to me. She almost made it, too!

They are awesome. I think Kevin is my favourite. I promise not to make him into stew. LOL!

Gwynn

Old Hippie wrote:They are awesome. I think Kevin is my favourite. I promise not to make him into stew. LOL!

Gwynn

ROFL
I bet HE's safe as long as HE's laying eggs!

I tried to get my mom and dad to buy some more baby chicks just this weekend, they had them in the store for sale, but we have enough already. They sure are cute!

boffer wrote:I bet HE's safe as long as HE's laying eggs!

ROTFL. Kevin laying eggs. Some guys will do anything to avoid being made into stew.

Gwynn

So Buffy's comb is getting big! Do you think she could be a boy? What do I do if she is?

What kind of chicken is Buffy? I know you said in another thread, but I didn't find it when I searched so I thought I'd just ask

Some kinds of hens have combs, so I wouldn't panic just yet.

sex of a chicken cant really be determined until 4 + months then they either crow or lay sometimes size is a determining factor but still just a guess until sunrise

Jay Bird wrote:sex of a chicken cant really be determined until 4 + months then they either crow or lay sometimes size is a determining factor but still just a guess until sunrise

Unless you want to actually turn them over and check - oversimplification, but I have heard there is a 'Dirtiest Jobs' episode you can use as a 'How To' video!

Done that!

TC

I loved that Dirty Jobs! Buffy is a Buff Orpington. I looked at some pictures of other BO's and I guess it looks about the same. We'll see!

Maybe she's just going to have a particularly beautiful comb for a hen *fingers crossed*