If you’ve been following me on Mother Earth News or social media, you already know my big family news for the year. We have chickens. Bock bock!! It was an epic journey building the coop, getting the Minneapolis chicken license and finding our chicks. Now they are well into their teens months and should start laying eggs in September.
We named the chicks after our great aunts Pearline, the twins Maude and May, and Chicki Boots. Yes, Chicki Boots. And of course she’s the alpha with all the personality to go with it. (Her photo is at the top of this post.) The story goes that my partner Christopher’s great aunt went by the nickname “Boots.” She was rather racy. And she gave Chris’ dad a chick for Easter one year when he was a boy. Thus, he called her Chicki Boots. The kids thought this was beyond perfect. A star is born. She’s the blond chick that eventually turns into brunette. Our own little Rita Hayworth, with the attitude of a velociraptor.
The chickens are an absolute joy to have. Their personalities are amazing, each quite distinct and funny. In the mornings we take turns letting them into their run. As they come down the ramp I greet each “lady,” as we call them, pet each on the back, and ask them how their morning is going. Sometimes when I come home from work I let them into the yard and just sit with a glass of wine to watch them. They make my day.
Christopher took all their portraits, following them from chicks to teenagers. He’s the Richard Avedon of chicks. Ha! His portraits are lovely and hilarious. Please enjoy. Stay tuned for more as the ladies start laying eggs, and expect a whole lot more egg recipes!
To read about how we build the coop, click here to go to Building a Backyard Chicken Coop. To read about choosing chicks, here is the link to Choosing Backyard Chickens on Mother Earth News.
