The Chicken Whisperer

Tonight I re-met a girl who used to go to Huntington my freshmen year. I really didn't remember her, but we both at least had remembered hearing the other person's name before. Well, she really wanted to meet my baby girls. She had told me that she was a big fan of animals but I had no idea that it was this extensive. One thing that has been plaguing my chick box is that fact that my chickens are so skittish all the time. I feel like they are a little afraid of me, and everyone for that matter. It wasn't like that so much when I first got them, but it's like that now though.

Anyways, she came onto the porch and picked up The Colonel no problem and held him close to her face and started talking to her. She kept on saying things like, "You are a truly beautiful chicken on the outside...and inside." She held them all with such a gentle touch and they didn't squirm. They calmly sat in her hands and didn't poop either. She was holding Boo and looked her in the eyes and said, "Boo while you're little you're very cute, but..." and I looked over at this time..."when you're older you'll be beautiful". Then Boo closed her eyes and kinda fell asleep.

I told this girl that she was kind of like a Chicken Whisperer because she was able to hold the chicks and they were calm about it. She laughed and said she has the same way with Alpacas.

May God bless my Chicken Whisperer.

Daddy and Janet

This is Janet and her daddy. Since we are in Indiana I think it might be appropriate to ask Janet, "Hoosier daddy?" and she will hopefully respond with, "Cheep, cheep, Alex, cheep, cheep!"

Janet got her name from Chunk, one of the guys living with me this summer. Chunk is a rather random guy so Lord knows he was going to suggest a random name. Some have suggested that it is too close to the name "Janna" (my girlfriend) but I think that if I were to call the baby chick I can annunciate "Janet" and I were to call my girlfriend I could just yell "hey Chick". Hahaha. Anyways..... Janet and her sisters keep on growing and eating and pooping. It must be a fun little life for them.

The first 24 hours...

So, my name is Alex. I grew up in Lansing, IL just outside of Chicago. I moved to Dyer, IN about 4 years ago, but that too is near Chicago. So, I haven't been around farms or livestock very often. My first real farm experience was in the fall of 2008. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. That trip inspired me to raise baby chicks. The farmer offered to sell me some chicks for $.50 each. So there we go....I am a farmer now, raising chicks, from Chicago(land area). Farmer from the City.

So, I went to the baby chick store yesterday (well, they sell more than chicks, but that's the main point of this story). I spent a long time talking with the "chicks" in the store to see how I could best raise my chicks. hahaha. I picked out my babies by seeing which ones looked the most spunky and playful. That might have been a bad idea, but we'll get there later. I got one Americana, which lays blue and green eggs, and I got two red something or others.... they will lay brown eggs. The Americana is a little bit older and therefore bigger than the other gals so we named her "The Colonel". The more yellow chick is named "Boo" as in, "she my Boo". The more red colored chick is named "Janet". Their spunkyness has only been a problem because they are impossible to hold. That's why I wanted babies!!! So I could hold them and pet them and nestle them against my bosom. So, maybe that idea just went out the window..... But other than that they sure seem to eat and poop a lot. A lot, a lot.

I am excited to watch them grow and get older. I hope that you all will join me as I blog about my great big summertime adventure!