The Peeps

The coop arrived in a large box...a heavy large box. I missed the FedEx man who delivered it but he must workout on a regular basis or is now hospitalized with a hernia.  The box was sitting on our front porch. So excited I was that I grabbed one end, tried to pull it down onto the front lawn and managed to rip out the steel industrial-strength staples holding one end and take off three nicely manicured fingernails before realizing this baby wasn't going anywhere without some help. Mom!  For being 77 years old and rather tiny, her German/Irish will alone gives her the strength of two FedEx delivery men and their truck put together!  I'd tackle it after work with her help.  Meanwhile I needed to find some residents for our very own soon-to-be chic poultry palace.  After a little research," little" being the key word here I decided I wanted a breed that would lay blue or brown eggs, could weather the cold and would be friendly.  The color of the eggs doesn't matter as to the nutritional value or taste of the egg, I just thought it would be exciting to gather colored eggs.  The farm store personnel told me that all the breeds they brought in were weather hardy for this area.  The friendly factor was important since visiting my uncle's ranch as a little girl I was pecked and chased by a banty rooster which at the time, looked to be just my height. "How big do these chickens get?" I asked. 

I decided upon two Ameraucana.  They laid the blue eggs and the convincing factor...they were SO cute!  They had brown and yellow fluff all over their tiny bodies in a pattern that resembled chipmunks right down to their beady little eyes.  The young man scooped up the two that I picked and put them in a small box with a carrying handle which they did not like and protested loudly about all the way home.  This was not all I needed though....the young man also loaded in my truck a bale of pine shavings, a heat lamp (they had to be at 90 degrees for a week then slowly lower temps until feathers appeared), a watering trough designed for poultry (you cannot use a bowl, they can drown), a small feed plate and Chick Starter.  These were getting to be expensive eggs!  Ah but the learning experience.....