New Rhode Island Red chicks

This year’s addition to the chicken coop are Rhode Island Red chickens from a breeder. We hope they are a better examples of the breed. The last reds we got from Farmer’s Supply were small and we did not give them pullet food for 5 full months. Chicks from big hatcheries have not been very big either. These hopefully are more true to the breed and with proper pullet nutrition will deliver large brown eggs.

The shipment from the breeder was mis-routed to Texas and the delivery took and extra day. We got 8 week old chicks and 20 day old chicks which were not thriving. We lost 4 of the small chicks and now have 24 very nice birds all seeming to thrive.

Ron has planted a nice garden for these chicks just outside the new chicken barn. When they are old enough (and the garden is growing) we will loose them into this pasture of rye, clover, peas, millet and assorted greens the chickens love. The hens have their own pasture planted that will be ready in several weeks too and after we finish harvesting the asparagus which grows in the same ‘pasture’. The pasture is really just the lower section of our raised bed garden area adjacent to the chicken yard.