The “Farm Experience”

04/15/10

That is what I have been saying for a couple years now. I live on property out of town that allows for chickens and farm animals and I have been bugging everyone (especially my honey) about having the whole “farm experience.”

I want horses, goats and chickens. So far I have the chickens, and was hoping to maybe get goats this spring but I haven’t been able to convince someone else of this.

The “farm experience” is why I got my chickens. And they are so fun! They are much easier to keep then I thought they would be, they LOVE seeing me and I sometimes just go out to sit in my coop with them. Yes I’m that weird. :P

So I wanted to start raising baby chicks and turkeys. From laying hens to meat birds. In fact my honey went to someones ranch and helped butcher some chickens for meat. (sorry if this seems sad) And I learned how to gut, clean and defeather the birds. I thought we were well on our way for our farm experience.

That is why we got the chicks… we got some laying hens, a couple turkeys and also some meat birds. Well I certainly got my “farm experience”… for reasons I have yet to figure out, over a few days time I started losing some chicks. One by one they started dying. Now they were the smaller of all of the chicks, they are considered Bantams (as opposed to Standards) so the chicks were already tiny and dainty. But one by one they started dying. The first 5 die in two days and I’m sad but I buck up and know that this is the whole experience. Plus they are guaranteed from the chicken company I ordered them from. (which they are replacing them all)

Then day 3 comes, and I lose my 6 one. By this time my heart is breaking and I start getting upset over it. But there again this is the farm experience right? Day 4 comes lose 2 more and I absolutely LOSE it. Swear up and down I will never order chicks again, that I suck at it and that its just not worth it.

Day 5 after a long day at work I come home and find out my 9th one drowned himself. (this is very common) and at this point I shake my head. So much for a farm experience huh? I order 11 birds receive 15 went to the local feed store and couldn’t say no to 4 more so now I have a total of 19, then I lose 9. Almost half of my chicks are gone. Sad to say the least.

But today is a new day and all my remaining babies are alive and doing well. And if the last little one doesn’t drown himself I think I just may be in the clear *looks around for wood to knock* This has been a roller coaster week but I do know that most of the deaths weren’t my fault. It was a bad shipment and but for my first time of having chicks I couldn’t help but think it was all my fault.

But to share with the world the remaining chicks and adorableness that makes me want to have more. Yes I’m getting more. When I place this order half of my order was to be shipped next month so I am still getting 10 more chicks which are my main laying hens, in May. So I’m just going to have to suck it up and put on my big girl panties. I wanted the whole farming experience and I think I’m finally getting it.

So here are my babies that I love so much.

I have 3 of these and they are Gold Sex Links. They are great large brown laying hens.

This is the adorable silkie… decided to do a little photo shoot with him.

These are truly my babies… I love these little Turkeys!! One is named Stuffing (yes for Thanksgiving) and the other one is named Dora after Dora the explorer since this thing is all over the place!! SO CUTE!!!!!