We're in the country now!

We can't help it...the more we enjoy our new property the more attractive the self-sufficient farming lifestyle looks to us (although of course, to even attempt it we'd need a lot more land). So we've taken our first (small) step toward that by joining with our neighbors in their purchase of meat birds. Thirty-eight chicks (all cockerels, or male chicks for you city folks) arrived Thursday. Sam is having fun watching them, but I think he really just uses it as an excuse to go to "Isaac and Amos' house." This is the shipping crate. They are shipped immediately after hatching, so that the energy from the yolk can sustain them through shipment.

Hey, show me a chicken, Sam!

You have to dip the chicks' beaks in water right away so they learn to drink from a waterer. Well, I think this chicken is slightly more comfortable than the previous example. Sam with his friend, Isaac (the boys call our Isaac "Mr. Isaac" to distinguish).

Sam's other friend, Amos, holding three chicks (and proudly wearing his CAT hat).

Sam didn't understand the beak dipping process, so he hands one over to Mrs. Crumrine.

The proverbial black...chick?