Our new (and final) set of chicks arrived today! It was a sad start because when we opened the box, two were dead. I think the box might have been a little too big for so few chicks, but whatever the reason, they did not make it. One was a Silkie and the other was an Easter Egger - luckily one Silkie survived. She is pictured to the left - unlike most chickens, Silkies have 5 toes instead of 4, they have black bones, skin and meat, and their "feathers" look more like long fluffy fur. They are a bantam sized chicken so they will be about half the size of a regular chicken which means eggs that are quite small - about twice the size of a quail egg if I understand correctly. I desperately wanted one - and so did my daughter - so I am so relieved that one of the two survived the trip.
We also had special ordered a bantam sized Barred Plymouth Rock - that is the kind my son wanted. I am happy to report that she also survived the trip - her name is Athena. My son loves mythology and decided Athena would be a good name - I have to say it is a pretty lofty name for a chicken, but perhaps she will live up to it ;)
The other two girls that survived the trip are two more Easter Eggers. They were originally ordered for my mom, but she has had a lot of medical issues this year and decided she cannot take them. Luckily I have a friend whose parent's have decided they would like them - so when they are big enough they will move to a new home. But for now they are in the brooder with Athena and the yet to be named Silkie. My daughter is very concerned with getting exactly the right name for such a special chicken. Originally she was going to go with Lilly which is her favorite name for all things, but she also likes Fluffers and Marshmallow - so she is still weighing the options. The Easter Eggers are also missing names - but we will work on those next. Oliver has already resumed his normal post on the back of the couch watching the chicks. He is very interested in them but seems to remember they are off limits - but I am still keeping a close eye on him just to be safe!
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I have to keep my chicks in a locked room because my cat is a little too interested in them. When I put them outside during the day in their coop, she sometimes jumps at the wire. I am squirting her with a water bottle, but I don't know what else to do to keep her away from my chicks.
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