Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Our Family is Growing!

Meet Oregano and Barbecue, our new hen chicks!
Oregano is in the front and is a little lighter in color than Barbecue, who's in the back.  We fixed them a little pen made out of a grocery store box with newspaper and pine bedding, a plastic lid for a food dish (I just couldn't justify the expense of a chick feeder for only two chicks) and a waterer that screws onto the neck of a quart Mason jar.  And a heat lamp, of course.  If it's nice weather they will go outdoors to play for a little while tomorrow; once they've feathered out we can start acclimating them to being outdoors all the time, as well as introducing them (gradually) to Crockpot and Drumstick.

I think the size of our yard will comfortably support six hens, so next year I'm going to splurge and get two Dominique hens - they are very pretty spangled black and white, and lay large white eggs.

I'm not sure whether these are brown-egg or white-egg layers; all that matters is that they lay dependably.  I will be glad when we no longer have to maintain a waiting list for eggs, and can sell them as they come along!

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