I will try to update at least every 2 or 3 days. If you haven't seen anything new in a few days, and want to know what's been going on, remind me to update! I get busy in the spring & summer, and might not get around to updating.

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Sunday, April 3, 2011

Week 2; Day 2

One of the cats, enjoying the warmth from the heat-lamp,
and hoping for a glimpse of the chicks.
I'm still working on ideas for designing the garage-coop. It suddenly occurs to me that I should mention: this would NOT be an option if we actually used the garage for our cars. There will be no danger to the chickens from living in an enclosed space with car exhaust. If our garage is ever changed to a state where we would have running vehicles in there, the chickens' space would be thoroughly sealed off from the main body of the garage. At the moment, it's strictly storage. As I mentioned, ventilation is going to be one of the key considerations; also, I think I'll plan on modifying the lighting arrangement in there. Nesting boxes, food & water dishes, and they should be all set.

I tried getting a shot of the two chicks who'd made their
way to the roost without help, but one of them panicked
and jumped down, and this one was starting to follow suit.
I was struck with inspiration on a name for one of the chickens; the light Brahma will be "Mama". She's bigger than either of the other pullets, and has already shown a tendency to groom them if they're close when she's working on herself. Plus, our youngest daughter loves saying "Brahma Mama!" Maybe not very creative, but it works. And, since the pullets will likely be around for at least a couple of years, I don't have a problem with naming them.

The whole experience is still proving to be far less effort than I expected. Granted, I don't exactly enjoy changing the bedding [which is why I've always avoided small pets that require bedding!], but it's not a major problem. And we all enjoy being able to walk over and pick up one or two of the chicks every once in awhile. Assuming the little-chick stage is the most work (as I suspect it will be), this is definitely one of my better decisions.

I am trying very hard NOT to grab the camera every time they do something cute or new; I do have to keep reminding myself that they're not pets. But they are so amazing, between how quickly they grow and the fact that they will soon be very efficient little egg-producers. I can't help it. Plus, if I'm to give this blog the proper substance it needs, photos are a necessity. Therefore, I'm not behaving like a proud mama; rather, I'm being a dedicated photojournalist. Yeah, that excuse should work, right?
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 9, 2011 at 11:50 PM

    Umm question. Don't you need a rooster present for hens to lay? My grands had chickens and I remember my papa saying that hens only lay when a rooster's there to "prompt" them. Just a thought.

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  2. HeatherApril 10, 2011 at 11:02 AM

    Chickens will lay eggs with or without a rooster. A rooster's 'prompting' only determines whether the eggs will be fertilized or not; without a rooster, we can't hatch any eggs, but the hens will still lay. :)

    The "no rooster, no eggs" idea is actually a fairly common misconception, though; until I started doing research for this, I wasn't sure about it, either.

    I'm glad you asked; that's one of the little bits of information I was going to share, and had forgotten about it. Thanks!

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