After reading books like Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and Still Life with Chickens and Plenty, I became inspired (i.e. obsessed) with owning my own hens to get free eggs. Most of the hatchery websites will ship you chickens in the mail, baby newborn chickens, which seems inhumane, but they usually survive because the yolk of the egg gets internalized into their stomachs and they can live on that for up to three days after hatching. Theoretically. Minimum order is TWENTY FIVE chicks.
Currently renting a house in Pacifica, in the suburbs, I think 25 chickens is probably against local ordinance (which I haven’t quite looked up yet as to the legality of chickens) and/or way too many chickens! I do know that my neighbors have horses and my other neighbors have up to 5 chickens, so I’m guessing I’ll be okay with my two chickens.
After extensive exploration both online and in person, I finally found a local feed store which supplies pet supplies, guinea pigs, rabbits, AND baby chickens and ducks! The ducks were disgustingly cute, and I had to use all my willpower not to spend another $3 to buy one. However, I need egg layers, not messy loud annoying ducks. The amazing lady at the register said ducks are 10 times dirtier than chickens! Chickens might poo wherever they choose, at any moment, but ducks have a tendency to make a royal mess of their local feeding grounds, especially when space is limited.
So, instead, I settled on two baby Barred Plymouth Rocks, which were insanely cute as well! They are black all around except their beaks and their bellies, which are yellow. They also have brown eyes, when you look closely.
More to come!
For now, their names are Pecker and Pooper. Subject to change. We’re thinking of giving them Bar Mitzvahs when they come of age and start laying eggs and giving them new names.