Here, chicky chicky chicky

I’ve got some major preparations to make today. Within the next several days 200 chicks will be making their way across the United States to Depew Oklahoma, one by one day old chicks trudging down route 66 to their new home at Living Kitchen. Each has been promised a good life of pastures of plenty in exchange for eggs. Most come willingly and will thrive, they will be happy chicks turning into happy hens but some will take some coaxing, some extra TLC. I’m sure over time I’ll win all of them over. Once they see the School bus turned into a hen house, a laying mobile they will be the happiest chickens around.

So where is that dang bus? Well being so wet and everything Mr. Ed Whitehead can’t get it out of his field, and even if he could he can’t get it into mine unless it dries out a little. So we wait. In the mean time day old chicks have a little brooding to do before their life of stellar egg layers. I’ve got several brooding pens that I’ll get ready today with clean dry wood shavings, molasses infused water (only the best for my babies) and sweet yummy chick grower. Their new homes will be warm at first about 85 degrees until they start growing some feathers. Chicks grow very fast so from the brooder they’ll go to roomier quarters for a little while and then they’ll hit the bus. These little ones should be laying their first eggs at about 20 weeks. So were talking full on production come July or August. Yikes I have to wait that long? Hopefully my current 50 hens will take their jobs seriously. That’s a lot of pressure on them isn’t it?

So I’m a little excited to say the least.

Today were hoping to get out and plant. We’ve had several days of no rain so this should at least give us a short window to get our first succession of radish, scallions, lettuce, arugula, spinach, turnips, kale, chard, beets and carrots in. All the seedlings in the greenhouse are doing fabulous!