Farm Living Friday

While we live on two acres, we do not live on a farm.  That doesn't mean we don't embrace farm living.  We reside in a rural community and the hubs has spent more than half of his life working in the field of agriculture.

Each summer we spend a lot of our time involved in agricultural ventures.  Agritourism, gardening, canning, and county fairs are all a part of our life in the summer months.  I know not everyone is able to experience farm life, and because of this I am beginning the "Farm Life Friday" series to run during the summer months.  It is my hope to share some of the joys of rural living through this series.

So sit back, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy some of the adventures we experience with Farm Living.

Miss Priss and I ended school Memorial Day weekend.  The following Monday we were out enjoying our new found freedom from our school year schedule when Hubs called me on my cell phone.  Since he teaches in a neighboring county, he was still in school.  His students were hatching chickens as part of a class project and the hatching had begun in earnest that day.  He called to let me know that he would be bringing home five chicks - four were doing well and one was not.  He asked me to get some things ready so that he could bring them home.

So Miss Priss and I headed to our local Tractor Supply to get what we needed.  I am an educated woman, but I have no idea what to do to help a sick chicken.  So I asked the folks there and they set me up with what I needed for the short term.  Then we headed home.  I prepared Miss Priss for the likelihood that not all of the chicks would live, and that it was part of farm living.

When we got home, the Hubs arrived shortly after us with the chicks.

Sick chick. :-(

One of the folks at Tractor Supply suggested that we keep the sick chick separate from the others in order to prevent the spread of any illness it may have.  So Hubs put him in a small box within the makeshift brooder we threw together.  S/he looked so pitiful curled up without moving.  I couldn't just watch the little thing suffer so I grabbed a medicine dropper from the hall closet and started giving it chicken electrolytes (yes, this is a real thing!) and held it close to my heart so it would stay warm and know that someone cared.  Then Miss Priss and I said a prayer for the little guy/girl.

Eventually, s/he perked up and we were able to put him/her back in with the rest of the flock (upon the recommendation of a friend who raises chickens).

Sick chick (the gray one in front) with a member of the flock

All five chicks

As the week progressed more eggs hatched.  Miss Priss was even able to assist in helping one of the chicks who had been struggling all day to come out of its shell.  I was gagging at at the grossness associated with chicken birth, but she love every minute of it.  She even got to cuddle it after we got him cleaned up.

Miss Priss with her patient

When all was said and done, sixteen of the eighteen eggs hatched and ALL of the chickens survived. Now y'all, I love animals.  But I was in no way prepared to have sixteen chickens.  Fortunately, Hubs' students were able to take most of them, but Miss Priss had decided she wanted to raise chickens.  So those sweet kids let her have four of them to raise.

So our adventures in raising chickens has begun.