On Friday, our family drove to Diess Feed and Seed, on the edge of Eugene, to pick up 10 baby chicks. (We’ll be getting 5 more next week.) Above you can see our new chicks, in a box in my lap, on our drive home.

 Last time we ordered chicks, we got them from Murray McMurray Hatchery, but they required a minimum order of 25 chicks and that is more than we were wanting. I looked into other places online where you could order fewer chicks at a time, but they were so expensive. Then we realized- oh yeah- we could get them from our favorite feed store. The different breeds come in on different days and it’s best to have your chicks within a week or two (at most) of each other. We originally wanted: americaunas, wellsummers, marans, black australorps, and buff orpingtons. Then we looked at the dates they were arriving and simplified it to this: 15 chicks total: 5 americaunas, 5 wellsummers, 5 marans. (I wrote more about our choices in this post.)

But then the wellsummers didn’t hatch. So we got 7 americaunas and 3 buff orpingtons. 

Next week we’ll pick up 5 marans.

On the drive home, I noticed that a little yellow chick was picking on all the others, pecking at everybody. It was a tenacious thing and every time I moved it away from pecking, it would immediately do it again. I noticed it was the runt of the buff orpingtons. I named it Rascal. Rascal the runt. So one chick already got a name on the way home. Later, Bracken called one “Bear.” So officially two of the chicks have names now. The rest will be named when they are easier to tell apart.

 When we arrived home, it was sunny and warm outside and we let them enjoy a few moments in the sunshine before we moved them under their light.

 And a few of them got some brief moments in the grass as well.

 We dipped their beaks in the water so they would know where it was. We still had our waterer and feeder in the pantry, from the last time we had raised chicks.

 Then we brought them in the house, to the warmth, while we did a few last minute touches to the coop. We got a corner of the coop sectioned off. We spread some wood pellets (what the feed store recommended for chicks, softer for them than straw) and some straw too, mostly around the edges. We got their new home all ready and then brought them out there. We needed to get to bed early that night because we had to leave early for market the next morning. Bracken did not want to go inside for bed that night, he wanted to stay in the coop. I promised him we could visit them in the morning before we left. And after our long market day Bracken and I came right out to the chicken coop and sat with the chicks. I noticed the chicks had such a grounding and soothing effect on Bracken after such a stimulating day. And they had the same effect on me.

Sunday morning we were back out there of course. Whenever we first arrived, the chicks would run to the corner, but as we sat in there, they would start running around and come over to us.

 (Bracken wearing the hand-me-down spider man boots his best bud Kelson gave him. They are too large for his feet right now, but wants to wear them anyway.)

 I was amazed at how gentle and sweet Bracken was with the chicks. I guess I wasn’t exactly surprised because it’s in his nature to be that way, but I know two year old boys can be rough sometimes. He wanted to hold them, so I showed him how to do it gently. He would kiss them and hug them. He loves those chicks.

 Giving a kiss. (I know the grip looks a tad on the tight side here, but I assure you the chick seemed just fine. Bracken knows when they make a racket, that means they need to be set down.)

 So much sweetness. This picture fills my heart.

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Then we did some weeding in the garden and brought some treats to the chicks: bugs and worms. They picked up their treasures and chased each other all around, it was so entertaining to watch. And I love the way they tilt their beaks up after they drink.

 And today? Today Jeff needed to do a little more hammering on the chicken coop, so we set up a temporary fence in the yard and brought the chicks in the sunshine. Bracken and I delighted in watching them while Jeff finished things up. (I think the loud noises would have really startled them in the coop and they had so much fun being in the grass for a short while!) As you can see, Bracken had a lot of fun feeding them out of his hand.

 And so did I!

 Little americauna chick. So, so cute! They look like fuzzy little owls to me. 

(One of our americaunas in the past was named Hootie.)

 A yellow buff orpington gal.

 Holding little cutie up for a close up.

Then the hammering was complete and we brought them back to their coop home. When Bracken woke up from his nap, some of the first words out of his mouth were a request to go out to the coop. This mama was not surprised. I must say, it feels so right for us to have chickens here again. So, so right.