In early 2016, after pining away for chickens for years, my family was finally ready for our first “pets”.

It took me a long time to convince my husband that the birds would be worth the effort (of course, I wasn’t sure, I just HOPED they would be…)  I spent hours researching the right breeds for our cold winter area, finding the perfect blend of docile, cold hearty prolific egg layers and made a careful order online in December.

Chicks in a Brooder at Agway

BUT….then at the end of January I drove to the local Agway store and heard the amazing, hopeful peeps of day-old chicks.  I was desperate for something soft and happy, so I cancelled the online order and returned to the store the next day, family in tow.  I actually found most of the same breeds that I had previously ordered, so it worked out perfectly.  Sigh.

We got the basic supplies- a chick feeder, waterer, heat lamp, and thermometer.  My daughters picked out the cute little fluff balls from hundreds of chicks in the brooder.  My oldest chose a very quiet, shy black chick.  To this day, Herme (named after Hermione from Harry Potter) remains her favorite.

Chick Crate- aka – live chick Happy Meal

I haven’t eaten at McDonalds in over 20 years, but I still remember the size and shape of the happy meal boxes.  I used to love getting the chicken nugget meal as a kid.  The irony of carrying home 6 live chicks in the happy meal box was not lost on me.

We ended up choosing 2 Easter Eggers, 2 Buff Orpingtons and 2 Plymouth Rocks.  All are breeds that are good egg layers, hardy in cold temperatures and very people-friendly.

For over two months, the birds lived in our house.  More than a month more than planned.  A story for another post.  Keep posted.  ha.

2 Day Old Fluffballs