"They're some poopin' little jokers, aren't they?"

So said my husband, as he looked into the chicken box after the ride home from picking them up. Then, "Aaaaashlee, what have you gotten into? I'm not cleaning up poop, and I'm not getting eggs every day." He loves me.

I got some baby chickens on Saturday! They were hatched Wednesday, March 10. I'm supposed to have all hens (pullets). I got three Silver Laced Wyandottes, three Barred Plymouth Rocks, and two Production Reds. Aren't they cute?!

The plain black ones are Barred Rocks and the stripey ones are Wyandottes.

These are all multi-purpose (meat/laying) hens that lay various shades of brown eggs. The Production Red is a cross between a Rhode Island Red and a New Hampshire Red (and maybe another breed). The Production Reds are supposed to be the best brown egg laying hens. I mostly got them because I had all black ones and wanted a few that were a different color!

Barred Rock hen
Photo: Wikipedia


Production Red
Photo: rapplsfarm.com


Silver Laced Wyandotte
Photo: brbpoultry.co.uk

Eight chickens is a lot. I really hope none die, but then again, I don't know what we're going to do with them if they all live! And, I'm supposed to get two more when the Ameraucanas come in next month! We'll figure it out. My sister wants chickens, so maybe she can take some if I end up with too many. My other sister takes in all sorts of animals, so I bet she would take them if she could talk my dad into it. She's even supposed to get a dairy cow today. It's her new "project."

Here are our babies! Aren't they cute? They are hanging out in my dining room in a box until they are old enough to go outside to the big coop.

Blair liked them of course!

Peeking in.

Brad let her touch one, but she tried to squeeze the chicken's head, so we put her back.

More please!

We'll see how it goes.... Gus sure is curious!