The big fat yellow chicks are the Cornish X chicks we bought; the cute little brownish red ones are the ones that we just hatched ourselves.
Notice the size difference. The Cornish chicks are two days older than our chicks, but twice the size. (They're meat birds - they've been bred to grow really really fast. Within a week, their main focus in life will be eating. And eating some more. With some snacking. And then more eating. It's rather frightening to watch...)
I love our little guys - they're not the least bit intimidated by the larger chicks. As far as they're concerned "we're just all chicks together" - they join in whatever fun is happening, without seeming to notice that they're getting knocked ass over teakettle half the time. Whether it's a mass game of "Let's all peck this one little tiny spot on the wall" or "How many other chicks can we step on in order to find the perfect napping spot", our little ones are right in the thick of things.
I couldn't get all 7 of our little new hatchlings into one shot, since they move way too fast and have no concept of posing for the camera. And that's the final count from this hatch - seven little Rhode Island Reds or possible RIR/Orpington crosses. (We briefly had eight, but the last little hatcher didn't make it. Sometimes they just don't, no matter how hard we wish them to. It's the hardest part of raising animals.)
Seven out of 27 eggs is not a good average. We're suspecting the rooster is playing favorites out there, and not sharing his affections with all the ladies.
In his defense, there's a lot of ladies in his harem. We're going to be getting him an assistant.
Whether he likes it or not.
Do you eat your chickens or are they just for eggs?
ReplyDeleteWe had chickens when I was a kid, but I got too attached to actually eat any (though that was dad's plan).
Congrats on #300. Chickens are good.
ReplyDeleteBut I thought roosters didn't take kindly to sharing their flock?
Yeah, if he can't do the job, he will need assistance.
ReplyDeleteI'm seeing lots of good roast chicken there. Fricasse/McNuggets, no Sweetpie or Julia. I learn the lessons.
Our greenhouse just lacks a skin and doors. I figure I'll give Wes a bit of a rest when it is done and then start showing him all those yummy chickens you are raising. I want some too!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you do when it's time to "harvest" your chickens? Do you do it yourself? Do you pack them up and take them to a butcher or does the butcher come out to your place? Hopefully I'll be doing this one day so I'm curious how it works. They're really cute, BTW.
ReplyDeleteI wish those pictures came with sound effects! I want to hear the "cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep"-ing. I went into the post office the other day to return a letter that wasn't meant to go to me. I could hear "cheep cheep cheep"-ing and said, "Boy... sounds like you got some birds living in here."
ReplyDeleteThe post master picked up a box of live chicks! The box had holes all over it- I guess someone was getting a delivery of live chicks. I didn't know you could mail them. Huh.
That giant box of chicks takes me back to childhood.
ReplyDeletexo
what great subjects ! who needs knitting?
ReplyDelete