Today I’ve have a list of stuff that needs to get done -a big list. The last thing I needed to do was try to take photos of my new chicks. But well the wanting to take pictures of my new chicks won over and my list of things to do is now on the floor somewhere. No really it’s in my head and that’s not the best place for it either. Maybe I’ll write it down sometime. Maybe I’m more apt to follow it. 

Anyway. I tried to take photos of chicks. And they move a lot. A lot. I had trouble with my Nikon and my canon as there is funky lighting in my office where the chicks are living until it’s warmer and I can house them in the garage.  We used to house them in our lower level bathroom but the boys use that now so it’s safer for the chicks in my office or in the garage. 

So I had dslr issues today and it is hard to make changes to the camera on the fly when a little chick is skittering around. They move fast. 

In the end I opted use my iPhone camera and I pulled the picture  into a photo app to help them a little. 

The chicks are about 4 days old and are supposed to all be hens. But I’ve been told that before and ended up with my rooster Clark. So we will see. They are barred rocks and Rhode Island reds. Chicks are selling in these parts like hot cakes. One feed store told me they had lines out the door at delivery time and were giving out numbers to customers like in a deli! They had 38 people at the door last Thursday! And no chicks on Saturday when I went to look. I wasn’t up to waiting in a long line to get chicks it wasn’t Bruce Springsteen! So I ended up at Southern States on Monday at 10am  just after a shipment arrived and I was able to secure six cute chicks. 

I love raising chicks. There is a point where I am happy they are ready for their little closed in area of the coop where they live until about 8 weeks and then get to integrate into the flock. They do get messy after a while. And they lose their cuteness as they morph into hens. But I’m still in the honeymoon phase with these babies. 

 This time they will only be integrating in with a rooster and one hen as we have two Roos and have them separated -so Clark the -best rooster ever – will get these new girls. He only has one girl left now as we lost many hens over last summer and fall. Mostly to old age, some to injury, and a few to predators. We are down to 9 hens all of them 2 years or older. So the laying isn’t quite as good as it once was. It will be nice to have some more eggs. 

There is just something about getting and raising chicks that makes me feel so alive. So renewed. I am sitting in my office listening to their peeps and their foraging in their Rubbermaid storage container (aka brooder). It’s very peaceful.  I am always touting the zen of chicken raising. It’s a true thing. 

So here is my attempt (and it’s only ok) at a chick photo shoot. I will be in awe now when I see really great pics of chicks as it’s not that easy!

Note: (No chicks were harmed in this photo shoot and they received meal worms in exchange for their participation.  However the photographer was pooped on.)