Pickin' up chicks!

Come on! Not that kind of chicks. Chickens! For a long time we've been wanting to have a bit of a "hobby farm" and now we're startin' with chicks! We just got home with our first 6 chicks - 3 Rhode Island Reds and 3 Gold Sex Links. I know it's a funny name. It means they are chickens which can be sexed at hatching. Learn something new every day, right?

We've been learning a lot from different websites and decided to go for it. One of our favorites is www.backyardchickens.com. Each of the kids has claimed one as their own and right now the chicks are in our basement in a box, adjusting to their new home. I think everyone has even named one. We have Thelma (Anna's), Redbud (Jacob's), Odie (Caleb's) Gussie (Melissa's) and Rhody (Jarrod's). Oops. One doesn't have a name yet, but I think Cookie would like to name it "Dinner".

Within 5-12 weeks they will be out in a chicken coop (which I have yet to build) and then a few more weeks before they are ready to lay eggs. Aren't they cute?!?