Chicks

The sound of several chicks is similar to running water in a decorative fountain.  Today I purchased six nifty chicks.  I chose them for their cute racing stripes.  They were a premium price, but since they are two weeks old they were 30% off and cost less than even common chicks.  I was planning to get Austrolorps which are dark and lay bluish eggs, but when I saw these chicks which already have brindled feathers in their wings I decided on getting six of them.  Last year at this time I was practical and chose four white Leghorns.  They were okay at first, but then my favorite turned out to be a little rooster and we ate him.  The hens laid well and we often got three eggs a day from the three of them, then they began to eat their eggs as winter began.  Two of them died and one is left.  I feel an obligation to let her live although if she does I will need to isolate her from the new little hens so she doesn't eat their eggs and teach them bad habits.  Meanwhile I learned that the variety of chicks I bought are good scavengers and will essentially feed themselves in the warmer months.  This is good because I wanted to 'pasture' them, insuring a higher quality egg.  Normal eggs can be relatively inexpensive but pastured hens lay more nutritious eggs and they are more than twice the price of ordinary eggs.  I really like my chicks.  I hung their feeder so they wouldn't throw it around as much as if it were on the ground and they seem to have adapted to taking water from the waterer which means a lot less mess.  Of course I will need to finish my chicken run, but this gives me more incentive to do so.  I am grateful that I chose to buy the chicks today.