New residents on the gravelly road

That first summer when we first starting spending weekends at our home on the gravelly road (before the house in the cities sold), our little boy often referred to the acreage as "the farm".  He wanted to know when we'd get a cow or horse or pig and where they would sleep (the shed wasn't really a barn... ).  Well, this week we started a new adventure that makes our acreage a tiny bit more farm-like.

Baby chicks.

The idea was proposed sometime this winter, by my husband.  I was a little hesitant, ok a lot hesitant.  Mostly because I know nothing about chickens and with his travel schedule I worried I would need to do most of the chicken related tasks. 

Well, a "how to raise chickens" type book was purchased.  Many Saturdays and evenings I'd find my husband in the chair reading the chicken book, often out loud to our son.  I love that my husband provided our son with a tangible example of using books to gain the knowledge you need for what you're working on.  I loved hearing the request "Dad, can we please read more from the chicken book?"

I was still hesitant but it was very quickly becoming their special project (too sweet to try to dissuade at that point).  Soon chicken coop building was underway, which meant hours in the shed working together -- such special time for them.

Thursday the baby chicks came home, four of them to be exact.  They are awfully cute!  No names yet, though John Smith and Tweet have been proposed. 

So begins our new adventure raising chickens.  Maybe I should start reading that chicken book...