The Great Pocatello Chicken Project, Part I

Golden Sex-Link Hen

Last May, some friends and I began the "Great Pocatello Chicken Project."  We purchased 12 chicks, built an indoor/outdoor coop in Amanda's & Naomi's garage/backyard, and set about learning chicken husbandry (or, I should say, "chicken wifery," since this is an all-female project, including the hens).  The chickens were from three different breeds (four from each):  Golden Sex-Link, Barred Rock, and Rhode Island Red.

Barred Rock Hen

We were warned to expect some of the chicks to die, as they are pretty fragile.   When the chicks were only a week old, I took care of them while Amanda & Naomi were out of town.  For two days, the temperature in Pocatello was extraordinarily high, and the chicks (in the incubator box) began a strange whirling behavior.  They flopped on their sides and propelled themselves around, as if they were break-dancing.  Freaked out that they would die while I was "chick-sitting," I brought them to my house (The coop is about 2 miles from where I live.), where I could monitor their environment more closely.  Fortunately, none of the chicks died.

   

Rhode Island Red Hen

Thanks to loving care, good nutrition, and Naomi's careful attention to coop sanitation, the chickens continue to be healthy.  They even began producing eggs much earlier than the experts predicted.