we have eleven chicks in a box in our basement.
they peep all day and all night.
the kids come home from school and go straight to the chicks.
partly because i told them they have to so their chicks will be completely people friendly but also because they really like to play with them.
the littler ones are a different breed that will be small chickens even when they are grown.
they will be about half the size of a full grown chicken… very easy for kids to hold. :)
and they will have fluffy feathery legs!
i honestly can't remember the breeds we have.
i am so forgetful.
i know there are a few buff orpingtons and that is about all i can recall.
we have two dark chicks with chocolate brown heads.
and two dark chicks with black heads.
they are getting really loud too.
their peeps are much louder as they grow. it's pretty cute.
waffle is used to it now and leaves them alone… mostly.
watching them jump around and try to fly is so funny!
this brown chick is the one i claimed for myself.
her name is Pan Fry.
because she is a "pan fry chicken".
we had picked her out and later we were told she was a meat chicken.
we were not quite sure what that meant…i understood the MEAT part but didn't know if that was a sure thing.
there are chickens that are raised for eggs and chickens that are raised for meat.
supposedly.. she will have to be eaten but i am hoping that since she was the only brown one in with all yellows that maybe she was put there by mistake.
i am hoping she is an egg chicken.
she is super cute… and i don't want to eat her.
(please be chill and don't freak out in the comment section about this ok? people have eaten chickens everyday since the beginning of time. it is all going to be alright.)
don't they look like they should have arms?
birds are weird.
a human chicken corral was made.
we let them loose in our garden area that is fenced with chicken wire to keep the dogs out.
they LOVED it.
one of them got a worm and it grabbed it and started running really fast and the others chased it all around.
it was hillarious.
because you could tell it was all instict.
they have never seen a worm?! they didn't know what that was!
but they knew to grab it and run.
and then they pecked at it for awhile all together.
we laughed a lot.
enjoy a few seconds of the sounds of our chicks in the leafy garden.
i think we are going to love having these ladies around.
Victoria - The chicks are darling! Lol at “Pan Fry”. My daughter summoned the courage to hold her first baby chick a few weeks ago. I’m sure she would not be able to handle the thought of eating them either.
Jodi - what beautiful pictures!!! I laughed when I read about your meat eater. I hope she isn’t. Unfortunately I did not know what that meant and assumed she would eat meat if I gave it to her…… how naïve! Anyway I raised them like any other chicken an didn’t think much about it until they started to out grow the other chickens…significantly! I finally called a friend who explained that we would need to butcher them. By this time they were so big that they could not even walk, they would wobble. She said that it was the merciful thing to butcher them because their weight would get to the point where their legs would break. Sad huh? Anyway she helped to butcher them and one ended up weighing 17 pounds!!!! We tried to eat the meat but it was stringy and tough. A total loss. Learn from my mistakes, good luck to you! Keep the beautiful posts coming! Miss Jodi
kari - The feathered feet chickens are my absolute favorites!! They are called cochens, said coach-en. They are the friendliest things ever. And they grow up to be soo big and fluffy, and they look like they have feather saddlebags. It’s like a giant pile of feathers waddling around. So stinking funny. Love them, hope you do too!
Prairie Jenn - are, not is…sorry!
Prairie Jenn - When your banties (little hens) lay eggs, the eggs will be smaller
but still yummy.
3 banty eggs is equal to 2 regular eggs when you are baking…just so you know:)
Prairie Jenn - That’s what I was thinking too:) I bet Pan Fry will be just fine.
Vonda - LOVE THE CHICKS!!! We’ve been raising chicks and chickens for about 10 years now. And when we order them, we always order females, and always end up with a rooster. lol Some nice, some NOT SO MUCH. I did want to mention 2 things in what I’ve learned and need to pass on. When the chicks are little, and you let them out in an open area, make sure the kids are there to watch them. We’ve had chicken hawks swoop down and carry off chicks (and a kitten once….sigh). Chicken hawks will even swoop down and carry off a full grown chicken. We have a netting on the top of our coop and run area so this can’t happen. Also, I have a friend who got her kids baby chicks for Easter. The 4 year old played with them nonstop, but then got really sick, like fever, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. She contracted salmonella from the chicks. So make sure your kids wash their hands after playing with them. Hate to put in the negative stuff, but just wanted to pass it on so the kids don’t get sick. She’s been in the hospital now for a week. 🙁 And to keep your chickens laying eggs, always feed them laying mash. If you just feed the corn or regular pellets, they won’t lay as much. Enjoy!!! 🙂
doveboat - I luv luv luv the human chicken corral! Adorable team work! You are an amazing photographer…I adore your photos
betsy - Our kindergarten classes at school just hatched chicks. Last year they had a few ducks that were SOooooOOoo cute, but this year was all chicks. One of the little yellow ones was born with deformed feet. He couldn’t walk around, but was super sweet. He loved to be held, but the other chicks were mean to him and just kept pecking at him until he bled 🙁 I saw your post about the chicks and imagined bringing little Cheese (the kids named him) to your house so your kiddos could love on him a little bit 🙂
Lucy Tracy - My old cat likes your video of the chicks! 😉 😉 Your pictures are beautiful!
mandi@herbanhomestead - Meat chickens can live pretty normally if they are free ranging. If they have the chance to forage and be a chicken, they usually don’t develop the weight problems (ha!) and the poor broken legs. Also, if they are fed a layer feed, it has less protein and they won’t gain as much. You should be able to tell by about 4-5 weeks old if it is going to do ok. If not, you are right in wanting to harvest it.
ps- the ones that get grotesque are generally confined to a small space with nothing to do but eat. My gut tells me that since this one is with layers who will want to scratch and forage, it will follow suit.
christy - Melinda, Same thing happened to us. One out of our 4 was a rooster, since we are in suburbia & not in a rural area I had to bring him back to the feed store. He was so beutiful & sweet, the owner of the store brought him home.
We named ours, Orange Chicken (my son’s fav dish), Nugget, Lunch & Dinner, although we usually just call them the red one, the orange/yellow one & the black one. 🙂 They all have personality!
Lyndsay - Look at those little farmers. 🙂 This is too cute!
elma - Very good advice. We just bought 8 more to add to our flock and I know my daughter kept an eye on the bum area and kept them clean.
elma - SO cute!! We just bought 8 more to go with our other 5. We love them and the eggs are amazing!!!
Meg Duerksen - that is what i thought too which is why we brought it home anyway. but then the more we were told about it… the “meat” chickens are genetically made to get huge and soon their legs won’t be able to hold them up. they will just sit and eat until they get so fat that they die. when i left with it i thought “i will just keep her even she never lays eggs and that is fine” but didn’t know about the huge fat and dying thing.
so we will wait and see.
and cross our fingers that she is not one of those chickens. 🙂
Melinda George - My son named our chickens after types of chicken dishes…Alfredo, Fried, and BBQ. I renamed them because if bothered me so much! Though I compromised and named them after spices, Ginger, our buff orpington, Pepper,our black and white striped and Salty our white hen. Some of our chicks were male, even though we bought what we thought were females, they can’t always tell when small, so you end up with some roosters anyway. Have fun with your new chicks!
AshleyAnn - People eat chickens?! Seriously, that side note was my favorite part of the post. My kids loved the video…especially Pan Fry pooping 🙂
n/a - I have no problem killing and eating chicken ( I love it in fact!) I’m confused though, what exactly differentiates meat and egg chickens? If their your chickens couldn’t you just decide to keep pan fry as a pet? or is there some practical reason why you don’t keep meat chickens in with egg chickens? again, not hating at all, I am just curious about the whole thing! Thanks.
Christina - ME four!
Kirsten J - Me three 🙂
Kate@stillroomtogrow - oh so fun! my kiddos would love having them too!
April R - love love the human chick corral 🙂
Krysta - We got baby chicks a few weeks ago and we spend hours watching those cute little buggers run around. We call it “Chick TV”. It’s so great because our friends and our daughters friends enjoy it too!
christy - 2 words, Meal worms! They love them. It’s like chicken crack. When my girls see the little white container coming they go nuts! They go crazy for them and chase each other around.
Kate - Oh goodness… I just fell out of my chair laughing. SOOOO neeeded this today. I’d like to freak out in your comment section. About all the cuteness.
Christine Ishmael - We bought 5 chicks a few years ago…named them all after the Golden Girls..until we found out 2 were males…when they were babies I whistled to them, like calling a dog, and when they grew up, they came running when I whistled…we have only 2 left and seeing your pictures makes me tempted to get some new babies…if only our new puppy wouldn’t hurt them! Enjoy them! They are so much fun!
Amy C. - Your post made a great ending to my day! We are just preparing to live in the country and I would l-o-v-e for my 4 boys to experience chicks/ chickens. I especially love the part of your video where Talby is moving the leaves so Pan Fry can get to the dirt – she has a tender heart for those chicks (it seems like your younger 3 are all really loving them, though!). I love your blog, Meg! I read it every day and so enjoy how refreshingly real you are with your life and journey. Keep up the great work!
Tiffany - Oh, I love it. I’m so glad you and the family are enjoying them so much. Don’t you just wish they could stay that cute forever? My parents get chicks every spring (the meat kind). But they have the egg laying kind too. Your comment about that cracked me up. Didn’t want another turtle episode? Also, I couldn’t help but smile at the irony that I was eating a cadbury egg while reading your post. No lie.
Dawn Gross - So cute! And the part about being chill in the comments was hysterical!!
Tanya - Happy post. 🙂
Andrea - your chicks are adorable….I cant wait to watch what happens with them. I would love to have some but don’t even know where we would begin……
Lindsey - Love the disclaimer and love your chick photos!
Kimberly - My cousin (at age three) became a vegetarian when she realized that yes, people eat chickens and yes, they really ARE chickens! Too funny!
Kimberly - That’s why I’m reading ;o)
Katey Deasy - Those with the feathery legs are going to be so pretty. I saw them at a farm at the World’s Longest Yard Sale detour we took when we saw a sign that said “barn loft sale” turn here. Great detour. The chickens were so pretty and the farmer said their eggs have the yellowest yolks of all and were delicious. So you have that to look forward too. Yeah you and your ladies!!!
stephanie - I am in love with your chicks. I so want some. HOA says “no”, but I am SO up for challenging them to defend why.
Jen - I have serious chicken envy!!!! What is your coop going to be like? I even have a Coop Dreams board on Pinterest. You lucky woman.
https://pinterest.com/jentopp/coop-dreams/
Amber H. - I know! I totally had to read the comment section due to that disclaimer. Hilarious!
Stacy - LOVE your chickens! I’m part of a group in my town trying to get permission to have 3 or so chickens in our yards. So I’m a bit jealous of your puffy feathery sweetie pies! As for Pan Fry… even if she is a MEAT chicken (we’re having fried chicken tonight…) I don’t think I could eat her. She looks too cute! Best of luck- I look forward to seeing updates on them. 🙂
Sarah b - You will love your buff orpies!! They are so big and fluffy and beautiful and SWEET!! We have all buff orpies and they’re just wonderful. They’re our little flock of “golden girls.” Enjoy!!! 🙂
Jeri - Fried chicken…yum! Who knew there was a difference in chicken? You’re educational and hilarious…
Gina - Between your and Ashley Ann’s chick pics I really want some chickens not only for eggs but to have some baby chick photos. The human chick corral is an awesome shot!! Hope you have recovered from Craft weekend!
Jill - The chicks are so darn cute. My favorite part is the upcoming awkward teenage stage (they go through it too!).
Debbie Hargadon - Holy Cow!! Sean is turning into a replica version of your husband before our very eyes! That instagram “corral” shot — I had to look twice to be sure it wasn’t Craig! hahaha. Teenage boys are scary as they are growing almost as fast as those baby chicks! I have girls and I’ve always been amazed at what happens to boys from the ages of 12 to 17. Yikes.
It’ll be a fun spring at your house! — and maybe a bit sad as I think you have a graduation. . . Enjoy it all! And thanks for the entertainment.
Kristin S - Your disclaimer is one of the funniest things I’ve read in a long time. Hope the haters stay away.
Lori H - Chicken is yummy! And your chicks are adorable. Can’t wait to see photos of the eggs some day…
Whitney - They are so cute! I have never wanted chickens (because of how much I hear the stink, ha) but when I see them I want them! Don’t eat Pan Fry, keep her small forever! (Don’t you wish you could?!) Hope she is an egg chicken! (I eat chicken, btw, but with a name like Pan Fry and seeing how cute she is I don’t want that fate for her!)
Angie's Boblog - seriously.
1. those chicks are friggin adorable and you caught some great shots of them
2. right: people eat chickens and raising your own is pretty much where it’s at
3. actually i don’t think i have a three, but I hope you have an awesome day. thanks for being YOU.
Seriously Sassy Mama - Chicken are cute!
Suzanne - oh my goodness. they are so cute. and yes, they look weird all armless like that 🙂 meat chickens… I have never heard that term, but it make sense. I eat chicken, so no disclaimer needed… though now that I have seen their sweet little armless, hairy-legged, leaf-digging cuteness, I am going to think twice on my next bite 🙂
Melissa - Oh my gosh how stinking cute! I just got four chicks over the weekend – precious little things
Michelle Whitlow - So cute!!!! I want some 🙂 Actually, I’m thinking about getting just a couple next year. I had to crack up when you made the ‘meat chicken’ comment…cause as soon as I read that I thought “oh God, someone’s gonna go all PETA on her” hehe Mmmm…chicken. JUST kidding 🙂
Kristina - I loved your side note…made me smile 🙂
Amanda M. - I love love love your blog! My dream is to one day come to craft weekend. I have 32 chickens, 22 of which we just put outside with the big ladies. I noticed that your chick you were helping “dig” with in the video looks a little “pasted up”. Until they feather out (loose the little fluff they have now and get their big girl feathers) you need to check their bottoms. That downy soft fluff seems to have the poop sick to it and closes over their vent (bottoms!). When this happens they can’t go potty and could die. Just hold them in your hand, run some warm water over the poo and their bottoms until it gets soft enough to pick off…. gross I know, but it’s sorta the equivalent of changing diapers! 🙂 You should only need to do it for a week or two. I just take a wash cloth and make sure that they are nice and dry then back under the heat lamp they go!
I’m no chicken “expert” just been down the chick road a few times! They are so fun. 🙂
charlton - what?! people eat chickens?! 😉 Your comment in parenthesis made me laugh out loud! I love it! Enjoy your chickens and hopefully you won’t have to eat Pan Fry when he/she gets bigger. 😉
mary - When I was in college, I worked at the Houston rodeo in the AgVenture exhibit. One of my jobs was to monitor the hatching baby chicks for NINE hours a day! They were cute after they dried and started running around, but oh man I wanted to speed up the hatching process for some of them.
Lee Ann - So excited that you’re doing this! You will know soon if PanFry needs to be eaten. If she’s truly a meat bird she won’t be able to walk after about 8-10 weeks. Her breast will be dragging on the ground :(. There are lots of breeds that are good for eggs and meat so hopefully that’s what you have and she will live a long, happy, egg laying life. As they get a bit bigger it will be much easier to tell what they are. So many look the same when they’re chicks. I love Buffs – so big and pretty. And I’m guessing the other little ones are some type of silky?
Roganne - Love it!! We have had chicks the past few years and the baby stage is so adorable!! Wait until they hit the preteen stage where they start to lose their fluff…kind of ugly, but also cute and kind of reminiscent of my junior high years..you might want to be cautious with pan fry because some meat breeds are bred to grow big breasts and they can “get down in the legs” with the extra weight. I’m all for eating chickens too (we always butchered our own), but you may want to take her somewhere to be butchered sooner rather than later because its always sad to see them hurting. Usually three months time until they are ready.
Amy Bogan Griffin - Oh my goodness!!! They are so cute! My girls are wanting to get some but I am afraid one of our 3 dogs or the cat would get them. I was wondering what does Annie think abot them???
charity - whaaaaaaat?!! people eat chickens?! 😉
Stacy - Hmmm…since Pan Fry was in the meat chicken bin are you sure she is a she? Could be a he! Good Luck! Chickens are fun.
Robin Canter - do you have plans to keep them outdoors permanently? a chicken coup? I imagine you’re waiting for warm weather 24/7.
holly - I love your blog. I read it everyday!!! I love your chicks, so sweet. The Pan Fry name is the best! I wish we could have cute chicks, our dogs would eat them though!!
Jenn - I love the chicken eating disclaimer…too funny! Great background music to the video. I have a friend that has chickens and my girls love checking them out. They lay eggs all the time!
Cathy - Pan Fry, what a great name.. And I wouldn’t eat her either.. We a have a new Rural King store that has chicks and I want some too but NO :> I love your blog and will keep reading.. I would love to see more videos.
sarah - So jealous! I have wanted a coup for a while but right now its just not feasable. Do you have any idea if the smaller ones will get picked on by the bigger ones? This past weekend I got some farm fresh eggs at our farmers market – nom nom!
Tip: if you dont refrigerate the eggs the wont go bad!
Dena - Love all the chick pics you and Ashley are sharing. My favorite of these is the one of Talby w/ the sleepy chick… so sweet. Enjoy them 🙂
Aby - Love it! I want to move to the country and get chickens!!! I love the furry legged ones! They’re still so cute when they’re grown! My neice had one named Percy. I love that name for a chicken! Of course, Pan Fry is good too! lol
Amanda - Super cute! Looks like your family is really enjoying being chicken farmers. 🙂 I think the small ones are bantams. I received my 2 maps from your shop the other day. THANK YOU!