This weekend was a typical wet April weekend where you try to get a few things done.  After bringing the dogs down to the back acre, We made the gates taller to chicken proof the garden.  Checked on and watered the warm weather starts.  And mowed the lawn regardless of the rain.

Warmer weather starts. Melons, Cucumber, Sun Flowers, Pumpkins

Joey the tree kitty.  Cherry trees make great cat trees.

Identifying Our New Chickens

Now that the chicks have grown up a bit, almost 3 months old, I set to work identifying our brood.  It turns out that we have a collection of:  Dark Cornish, Black Austrolorps, Buff Orphington, Partridge Rocks, Delaware, Speckled Sussex, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Red Star, Americana, New Hampshire Red, and Rhode Island Reds.  Twenty eight in all.

Here are examples of each kind:

Americana

Black Austrolorps

Buff Orphington

Dark Cornish

Delaware

Partridge Rock

Red Star

Rhode Island Red

Silver Laced Wyandotte

Speckled Sussex

New Hampshire Red

The Chick's Have Come Home to Roost

We decided to get a batch of chicks from the Murray McMurray Hatchery.  We ordered 25 and they sent two free ones, one that is a exotic chick.  They all made the trip in their little mothership of a box.

 They were born and shipped out on Saturday and we picked up on Monday morning after a call from the post office.  They got settled in their new home all fluffy and small. 

Day 3 (Day of their arrival)

After a week and a half they are starting to get their wings and stretch their limbs.  We lost three from the bunch, but they seem to have stabilized.  I'm sure there's some percentage of chick mortality figures out there...

Day 12