3 Weeks and Counting...

So we have had the chicks for 3 weeks now... I can't believe how fast they grow!!  Their little wings are starting to come in, and they are starting to have a whole lot of personality.  Marshall and I are having so much fun playing with them.  We go downstairs with them every day for at least a couple of hours.  We want to make sure that they feel like they are part of the family.  Marley is even starting to get along with them.  I was a little worried at first.  The little chicks look a bit like mice, and she likes to catch and eat mice.  The hardest part is that they peck at her, and she really, really doesn't like that at all.  I was keeping the chicks in the kennel and making Marley lay next to it with me and watch them.  But it wasn't until I started letting them out of the kennel and walking around the she finally figured out that they are alright.  That and they don't seem to be pecking at her quite as much now.  In the pics below they are 2 1/2 weeks old.  You can see their little wing and tail feathers coming in.

We decided today to bring them outside for their first trip, since it is 60+ outside today.  They were so cute, at first they didn't want to be anywhere except up in our hands and resting on our arms, but then I just made them go check out the grass.  After that, they were pretty keen on roaming around as long as they stuck together.  If one walked off a bit the other two would get upset and start really chirping.  I would say for their first outdoors adventure it was quite exciting.  


I started my veggie starts yesterday.  I have tomatillo, sugar snaps, candy carrots, and regular carrots, pickling cucumbers, radishes, green peppers, and jalapenos.  My mom has a ton of heirloom tomato seeds, so I will get those started this weekend.  I am also going to drive up to Greenbluff and buy a few year old raspberry bushes, and maybe a blackberry bush, and also another 6 strawberry plants.  I am just so excited to have a small garden this year.  We also have two apple trees(that we won't be getting any fruit off of for a couple of years), and two year old grape vines.  I think I am going to get another grape vine to have crawl up the coop, or maybe wisteria, I haven't decided yet.  Marshall should have the fence done after this weekend, or next.  Then the chicks will be able to head outside (that is if the coop is all done)  gotta have my dad come up and help us with that.  

Anyway, I am jut so excited for the spring weather, and to see everything wake up from our long cold winter... well just about everything, we have to spray the wasp nest, I saw a few of them flying around today.  I can deal with just about everything, but I really don't like to be stung!!

Bringing the babies home!

Well after a much anticipated wait, and almost a year of talking about it...  I am so happy to announce that our chicks are here!!!   

Jade, Lola, and Roxy

So there they are in all their glory!

Jade is an Araucana, Lola is a Silver Laced Wyandotte, and Roxy is a Barred Rock.  I picked them up from Aslin Finch today, they are a day old.  It is so crazy to me how fast they grow, that after only a day they already have feathers growing in.  I have had chickens before, but it is still just as amazing to feel like I am watching them literally grow right before my eyes.  Marley has been so cute, she doesn't quite know what to think, she goes and sits right next to the kennel that I have them in and watches them for hours.  If they make any noise at all she starts barking to get my attention.  Since she has been known to catch mice, I was a little worried that she would try to snack on the little ones.  Though a little skittish, she hasn't even nipped at them, even when they peck at her feet.  Little does she know that they may end up being bigger than she is, so she better be nice to them... haha!  We don't have the coop finished yet, but they will need to be in the house for a month, so it really just has put more pressure on Marshall to get the show on the road.  Man, I do love that guy!  We should get the little bit of fence up that needs to be done so that dogs can't get into our yard.  

We had decided to build a coop that was going to have a green roof on it, but have now changed 

our minds and picked out something a bit different.  It is going to look something like this, except a bit smaller since we only have 3 chickens.  I like the idea of having the vines growing up the sides, and we will put a nest box out the front door there.  The plans don't call for insulation, but we are going to do that, for our unbearable winter weather.  Gotta take care of the ladies!  Marshall and dad really like the look of this coop also.  I am just so excited to have the girls here now, it makes it all real, as opposed to it being this thing that I have been just talking about.  I could barely force myself to go to work today, because I was so excited to have them here... I'm such a dork!  

Well I have a few more pictures of the girls, thought I would just throw them in here so everyone could check them out.  It has been such an exciting day!