Podcast #261 – Raising Baby Chicks


Oddie can’t participate in this one. Behind firmly closed doors in the shop next to our home, four tiny birds are exploring their new life, busily eating, drinking, peeing, and pooping. And sleeping. They spend lots of time sleeping.


Our first foray with chickens was with a mix of barred rock and Americauna who arrived as adults. They had already formed their bonds and had little interest in forming new ones with us. That’s okay; we didn’t need pets then and don’t need them now. But these little girls (there is a 98% chance they’re female) will grow up close to humans, feeling our hands, hearing our voices, and coming to depend on us for their care. In today’s program Amanda and I discuss their breeds (two barred rocks and two Rhode Island Reds), the little home we’ve fashioned for them while they grow up, and our hopes and expectations about transitioning them to the coop on the orchard floor.

Listen – 21:45

It’s important to us that our four baby chicks grow up accustomed to our touch and our voice, not because we want more pets but because it makes it easier for us to care for them when they’re adults.

The Longleaf Breeze Perennial Farm Calendar

Leave a comment