Babies

We drove all over Friday to pick up our babies.  I had carefully planned out where to get the breeds I wanted, when I wanted them.  I was going to get them from the Urban Farm Store, but when Aaron called them to make sure the chicks had come in, the two breeds we planned on getting "all came in dead".  They get their chicks from a local hatchery I had planned on going through directly, but changed my mind after reading some convincing bad reviews and didn't feel comfortable going with them.  Over 30 dead chicks that had been shipped from just a few hours away...I'm glad I didn't get my chicks from them in the end.
We scrambled that morning to piece together the breeds we wanted.  First stop was in Woodburn, where we picked up a Welsummer and a Black Australorp (my number one this year).  They were out of Ameracuanas (AKA Easter eggers), along with every small town feed store in the Willamette Valley except in Newberg!  We must have called 15 feed stores.  Finally when we called Newberg and they said they had 10 left, we got in the car and went.  The plan was to get ONE.  Then after we packed up our chick, Aaron says, well don't you want two?  I mean, what was I to say to that?  He picked out the final chick and is calling her "his chick".
So 4 babies, and talk of one more this Friday from Portland...if they get in the breed they are planning on.  That adds up to 5 + 4.   Way too many birds for our little coop in the city with a 5 bird limit!  The plan is to expand the coop, put up privacy fencing, maybe sell one of the pullets (or roosters if that problem presents itself), and probably get rid of two of our older girls.
Tonight I asked Aaron to hold them while I cleaned the brooder out.   Oh it was cute.

There was some serious bonding going on.  I was cracking up as he stroked that little yellow head (towards the top, below) and she would close her eyes blissfully.

We are calling that one Troublemaker for now.  She is constantly trying to peck someone's eyes/toes/face/wings, and she's pretty fearless when it comes to jumping off of things.

Here are all 4.  Aaron's dark Americauna on the left, the light one I picked out at the bottom, the Welsummer with the well defined line down her back and the Australorp in the back.

I have to admit there have been many hours in the last two days dedicated to just sitting and watching them.  They are so small and soft!  And vivacious, so funny to watch them run around and interact with each other.  The goal is to get these guys tame, tame tame.  I have been wanting to raise chicks for years and  I'm loving every minute of it!