For several days, Lucy and Carrie kept asking the same question: “Can we raise chickens again?” They did not ask once and forget about it. They asked every day.
Lucy’s most practical reason was that we would not have to buy eggs anymore. But the two of them were already thinking far beyond eggs. In their minds, the chickens were almost here.
They Had an Answer for Everything
“There are foxes here,” Dad said. “They might steal the chickens.”
“That’s okay. We can use an electric fence and put it deeper in the ground.”
What about hawks during the day?
“Phooey (Our dog) can watch the chickens. Then Phooey will have a job!”
And what would happen when we went camping?
“We can camp somewhere close to home, so we can come back and feed them.”
No matter what Dad or I brought up, they had a solution ready. They had also drawn a complete chicken-coop blueprint, including an egg conveyor belt. The eggs were supposed to travel through a pipe from the coop directly into the house. They built more coops and little farms with magnetic blocks and had already started naming chickens that did not yet exist.
Eight Chicks Came Home
Eventually, Dad and I gave in. That afternoon, we went to Tractor Supply to choose the chicks.
Lucy chose two pale yellow chicks, including Bloom. Carrie chose two black chicks, including Fluffy Feet. I forgot some of the other names almost immediately. We may need little leg bands just so their mother can keep up.
Dad chose four more chicks from a different breed. Altogether, we came home with eight.
Starting Again
The chicks were only a little over a week old, so they still needed a warm brooder. Luckily, we had kept our equipment from the last time we raised chickens.
We have not kept animals for the past three years because we remember how much work it can be. With chickens, there are foxes, birds of prey, and animals that dig underneath a fence. Sometimes something gets into a coop overnight and you never even find out what it was. I was happy to see the girls so excited, but I also remembered that part.
For now, the chicks need water, chick feed, and warmth. Lucy and Carrie, however, were already planning a more interesting meal: crickets from the grass. They crouched in the garden and lawn for nearly an hour. In the end, the crickets they caught could be counted on one hand, but they were very proud of them.
Phooey Meets the Chicks
Phooey may have been the most curious one of all. Before we even opened the box, that little nose was already lifted into the air, trying to work out the unfamiliar smell.
Once the chicks were out, Phooey leaned in and sniffed them carefully. I kept saying, “These are your friends. Your job is to protect them.” I do not know how much Phooey understood, but there was no interest in missing any part of the introduction.
For now, all eight chicks are back in our old brooder. The girls are still working on names, and Phooey checks on them whenever there is a chance. After three years without animals, we are raising chickens again!
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