Chicks on the loose

The chicks got to experience the outside world for the first time. Pretty exciting. They have had to have a little downgrading in the social world due to our little freak out about Salmonella possibly passing on to Milo. Not that we've let him touch them, but it's possible they could kick something up into the air and he was eating in the same room as they are housed. So, we've moved everything out and they can have the room until we move them into the outdoor coop. They definitely seemed like a flock when I got them out to the grass. At first they just stood in one corner, but after a while they started to range but pretty much always together. They ate some grass, picked at the dirt and pooped a little. Lots of wing flapping which made me a little nervous, but no-one got very far. I'm not sure if it was nerves or if they were just trying things out since they had the space.

As the video shows, they are moving out of the cute chick faze and into scrawny teenage, half feathers/ half fluff. The Arconas - Dot, Dashey, and Ms. Scratch-alot, are having a particularly scruffy time of it right now. The Goldens - Ginger and Carmine, are getting a lot of wing and shoulder feathers but still look cute. The Wyandotts - Veedub and Sleepy, have some wing feathers but definitely seems to be on the slowest growth track.

We're starting to organize the garden and sprouting rooms, and have figured out that this year is pretty much just a wild leap out into the growing season and we shouldn't expect too much or put too much pressure on ourselves to be fully on track. This will be a learning year, figuring out what grows well and where, what we actually will eat and what stores well over the winter. Also, what over grows and can go to the farmers market, and what is easy to grow and can be sold. It looks like we'll probably have some extra tomato plants, so those could be potted up and sold. And herbs and flowers also would be easy to do. Eggs will hopefully be in pretty good supply. We don't need to make real money just supplement what we pay out to get stuff started. Each year we'll add more to the place - a green house, tunnels and cold frames, bees, maybe a goat if we can make it look like a pet.

Photos of the grow room and garden will be posted soon, really. It's just that the chicks are growing at a much more interesting pace, right now, but the garden will take over soon.