Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken?

by Kelly Jones

  We found some wood in the barn to build a stand for your chick roosts. Lupe says we can build something where we can change out the size of the roost as the chicks’ feet get bigger. I’m really excited! I’ve never exactly built anything before, only helped Dad try to put the Ikea furniture together. (I’m better at paying attention to the details in the pictures than he is. I only put something together upside down once. But he’s better at checking to make sure we have all the parts and tools ready than I am. We’re a good team.)

  After we cleaned the dust and cobwebs off of our supplies and put them in the car, we went to Jane’s feedstore to watch the chicks there. I wanted to see if mine looked like any of the breeds she has. Some did, but they were all different breeds. Chicks don’t look very much like the adult chickens they grow up to be. We spent a while watching the chicks wander around and fall asleep on each other. Lupe could not get over how cute they were.

  I asked Jane if she had any locks we could put on your coop doors.

  Jane looked concerned. “Are you having problems with chicken thieves again?”

  “Wait—what?” Lupe said. I guess I never told her about what happened before.

  I shook my head. “No—not yet,” I told Jane. “But I’m raising some new chicks, and I can’t put them with my chickens, so they’re going to have to go live at Redwood Farm, by themselves. I’m a little worried.”

  Jane nodded. “No one wants livestock stolen. But people might need to take care of animals if there’s an emergency—like when the creek flooded, or when Agnes died, and people needed to get her chickens to the people who she’d asked to take care of them. Think about it, and then we’ll see what we can come up with.”

  “People would steal Sophie’s chickens? For real?” Lupe asked. “I mean, those chicks aren’t worth the trouble, are they? Do people steal apples and corn and stuff too?”

  “Sometimes, we get problems like that,” Jane said. She didn’t meet Lupe’s eyes.

  Which made me wonder: do people around here grow unusual apples and corn? Maybe I should find out more about Chris’s mom’s vegetable garden.

  “The trouble is, anything you can attach to a coop, someone else can take off, one way or another, if they have enough time and no one’s watching,” Jane continued. “But what if someone was living at Redwood Farm, keeping an eye on things? I mean, you’ve got a very capable cousin, and there’s a whole house there.”

  Lupe’s eyes got even bigger. She didn’t say anything.

  Part of me wanted Lupe to say no way, she was having too much fun living with us to think about moving. But…Jane was right, it would be good if someone was there to keep an eye on my new chicks. Lupe could yell at anyone who threw trash in your yard, no problem. She could probably even stand up to Ms. Griegson, if I explained things.

  “Think about it,” Jane said. “It’s not like you’d be far apart.”

  Lupe still didn’t say anything. Maybe she’s tired of living with us already.

  Your friend,

  Soph

  PS Jane gave me samples of three other kinds of chicken treats to try out with my chickens, so she’ll know which ones chickens like best. We’re going to do a taste test and write some more reviews for her, after I finish the rest of my math homework.

  Saturday, August 30

  Mariposa García González

  Somewhere good, even though I miss her so much

  Querida Abuelita,

  Lupe didn’t bring up moving to Redwood Farm at dinner. Instead, she just talked about the roost stand we’re going to build for my new chicks. Mom and Dad were really pleased that Lupe knows how to work all the tools and can teach me how to use them safely.

  “I’m so glad you came to stay with us, mija,” Mom told Lupe after dinner, squeezing her hand.

  I waited for Lupe to say that really she wanted enough space to be able to leave all her bathroom supplies in the bathroom and hang up all her clothes in her room, but she didn’t.

  Instead, she grinned at Mom. “Me too,” she said.

  I’d really miss her if she moved.

  Maybe she’ll just forget Jane ever said anything about it.

  Te extraño,

  Soficita

  EGGSELLENT CRACKED CORN!

  This cracked corn is the only treat that will get me out of the nest box I’ve been hogging all day!

  Buffy, Buff Orpington Hen

  Blackbird Farm

  (Translated from Chicken by Sophie Brown, poultry farmer)

  Sunday, August 31

  TASTY, TASTY MEALWORMS!

  These dried mealworms are so yummy, I don’t want to share them with anyone!

  Henrietta, Bantam White Leghorn Hen

  Blackbird Farm

  (Translated from Chicken by Sophie Brown, poultry farmer)

  Sunday, August 31

  BAWKINGLY GOOD PUMPKIN SEEDS!

  We love pumpkin seeds! (Especially when they’re far away from Buffy and Henrietta!)

  The Other Chickens of Blackbird Farm

  (Translated from Chicken by Sophie Brown, poultry farmer)

  Sunday, August 31

  Monday, September 1

  Agnes Taylor

  Heaven

  Dear Agnes,

  Guess what? Lupe heard from her teacher’s old student who did the project on your farm, and he wants to come visit and tell us about it! His name is Jacob. He’s going to come see us there later this month. I’m so glad we did all that work to clean up your farm. I wouldn’t want him to be sad when he sees it.

  I’m going to have a long list of questions for him, I bet.

  Your friend,

  Soph

  Wednesday, September 3

  Agnes Taylor

  Heaven

  Dear Agnes,

  Today at lunch I told Chris and Sam and Xochi about my trip to Redwood Farm with Lupe. Then I asked Chris if his mom grows unusual vegetables.

  “Like kohlrabi?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “What’s kohlrabi?”

  “It’s a spiky green or purple vegetable that tastes like a radish but not spicy,” Sam told me. “Chris’s mom is always giving it to us, because we haven’t told her not to yet. You could have some of ours, if you need some. It’s okay with ranch dip.”

  “Is it unusual like my chickens?” I asked.

  They all shook their heads. “I don’t know of any vegetable that can do things like your chickens,” Chris said.

  “Me either,” Xochi said.

  Sam was thinking hard. “People used to say Ms. Winterson’s hot peppers would cure any cold you got.”

  Chris shook his head. “That’s just because she was an old lady who lived in a creepy old house and grew her peppers dry, so they were extra spicy. My mom has seeds from hers, and no one says my mom’s can cure colds.” He looked at me. “Who told you there were vegetables like that?”

  So I told them about our conversation with Jane.

  “Well, I don’t know of anyone growing anything like that,” Chris said. “It’s too bad, really; my mom would probably like them.”

  “Maybe there’s a catalog you have to write to,” I told him.

  “Jane’s right, you know,” Sam said. “Even if Ms. Griegson has learned her lesson, what if something else happened to your chicks, living by themselves?”

  “It’s a long bike ride too,” Chris said. “Do you want to go there every single day to feed them and give them water and check on them? You’re going to have to get up really early.”

  I thought about it. I was really tired when I went to bed last night, just from school and homework and chores, without riding my bike at all. But I didn’t tell Chris that. “Of course I will,” I told them. “They’re my chicks. I have to take care of them.”

 
“But what if you got the stomach flu?” Sam asked. “And you couldn’t ride your bike that far?”

  “Zookeepers have to teach each other how to take care of the animals, for when they get sick or have a vacation,” Xochi said. “Like substitute teachers.”

  “Mom or Dad or Lupe would drive me,” I told them. “I would take a bucket, so I didn’t mess up the car.”

  Xochi shook her head.

  Sam stared at me like I wasn’t making any sense. “But why don’t you want anyone to live in that house? Don’t you trust Lupe?”

  “Of course I do!” I told her. “I just…I haven’t really gotten to spend much time with her yet.”

  “But you’re going to be at Redwood Farm all the time anyway, taking care of your chicks,” Chris said.

  “It’s better if someone is there, if the chicks need help,” Xochi said.

  “What do your parents think?” Sam asked.

  I shrugged. “Lupe didn’t bring it up, so neither did I.”

  “Maybe she doesn’t want to live there,” Sam said. “Besides, do you really think your parents would let her? I mean, she’s too young to live by herself, isn’t she?”

  “She’s eighteen,” I told Sam. “Lots of people live by themselves when they’re eighteen.”

  “Nobody I know,” Sam said. “Or, only in college dorms or places like that. What if she had boys over?”

  “I come over all the time,” Chris said.

  Sam gave him a look. “Inappropriate college boys.”

  “Lupe is one of the most responsible people I know,” I said. But maybe Sam was still right. Maybe Lupe’s parents wouldn’t want her to live by herself, and mine would say no way.

  “Do you think you could help me build a lower roost for one of my chickens?” Chris asked. “Terminator is getting kind of old, and I think she’s having trouble jumping up to the high perch. I don’t want her to have to sleep on the coop floor.”

  “Sure,” I told him.

  Sam and Xochi wanted to learn to use tools too, so we’re all going to build stuff with Lupe. It’s going to be great!

  Your friend,

  Soph

  Poultry breed observations by: Sophie Brown, unusual poultry farmer

  Observations made: Friday, September 5

  Type of bird: Buff Orpington

  Gender of bird: Hen

  PLEASE RECORD YOUR NOTES ABOUT THE FOLLOWING:

  Comb: pinkish red, small and pointy

  Beak: cream

  Eyes: orange with black pupils

  Wattles: red

  Earlobes: red

  Beard: nope

  Head: golden, like a golden retriever

  Neck: golden

  Body: golden

  Tail: golden, small, points up

  Legs and Feet: cream, no feathers

  Eggs: When she’s not broody, Buffy lays big light brown eggs that sometimes have a little bit of sand in them. (You can fish it out with a spoon before you cook them.)

  Typical movements: Walks around, loves to take dust baths, sometimes hides her head under Chameleon’s wing when Henrietta glares at her

  Typical vocalizations (if any): For such a mellow chicken, Buffy is really loud. She has to tell the whole world every time someone lays an egg!

  Interactions with other poultry:

  Buffy is kind of shy. She mostly hangs out with Chameleon and Roadrunner, and doesn’t really chase anyone. But when she gets broody and only wants to sit on eggs all day, she puffs up like a huge chicken and gets very fierce—she tries to peck anyone who takes her eggs. Her favorite thing to do is to sit on eggs.

  Unusual abilities:

  Buffy isn’t supposed to have chicks. She had some by accident after Great-Uncle Jim died, and they turned a raccoon to stone. But she’s a really nice chicken otherwise.

  Needs further research:

  Chris agrees that Buffy’s abilities are too dangerous to test.

  Date: Saturday, September 6

  To: Hortensia James

  From: Sophie Brown

  Subject: New roost for chicks

  Dear Hort,

  You weren’t kidding about the mess those chicks make. Good thing I have a barn.

  We were building the stand for their new roost today, and at first the noise from the saw and the drill scared them, so they all got quiet and ran and hid under each other in a corner of their box. But then maybe they got used to it or maybe they forgot to be scared, and they started scratching all the wood shavings and everything everywhere and kicking up more dust than ever. They’re pretty loud too! And kind of smelly. My friend Sam pointed that out a couple of times, but my friend Xochi said it wasn’t as bad as penguins or flamingos. Chris and I didn’t really notice, being chicken people, and Lupe is too nice to say anything, if she noticed.

  The chicks are growing so fast! Already they would never fit back into eggs. And they’re starting to flap their wings around, so it’s a good thing we got their roost stand finished. It’s perfect! I had no idea you could just build something like that whenever you wanted, out of things no one was using. Why doesn’t everyone build stuff all the time?

  After we put the tools away, we made sandwiches and took a picnic to the barn at Redwood Farm. I can almost picture the chicks in their new coop, when they’re big enough. Chris even pointed out the hook where I could hang up a heat lamp for them if I needed to.

  If there’s anything else I should plan for, it would be good to know about it now.

  Your friend,

  Soph

  PS How will I know when they’re big enough to go live in the coop?

  PPS Do you build your perches too? Here is our design, in case yours could use some improvement.

  Date: Sunday, September 7

  To: Sophie Brown

  From: Hortensia James

  Subject: RE: New roost for chicks

  Dear Soph,

  What a good design! I think it’s going to work very well for your chicks.

  I usually wait two days after the chicks seem far too big for their box, and one day after I am really sick of all the dust and mess and smell they’re creating. That’s about three weeks for me, since I move them to a pen that has a heat lamp set up for them. If you need to move them outside without heat, you’ll need to wait until they’re at least five weeks old. Usually they have some real feathers by then too.

  Your friend,

  Hort

  PS Can you send me another picture of the chick that Chris wanted to call Gandalf, when you have time? I’d like another look at it.

  Date: Monday, September 8

  To: Hortensia James

  From: Sophie Brown

  Subject: RE: RE: New roost for chicks

  Dear Hort,

  Here’s another picture, without my thumb this time. I had to wait until that chick was asleep. They move around too much otherwise. I know it looks dead, but don’t worry, it isn’t.

  Is something wrong with it? I’ve been really careful to keep them warm and to only feed them the special chick food. But one of the other chicks figured out if they bump into the waterer you sent, sometimes they can knock some water out, and then they all splash around in it. The light gray chick doesn’t really splash the way the others do. But maybe it doesn’t join in because it’s sick?

  Please tell me the truth right away, if it’s sick. I will be really sad, but it would be better to know.

  Your friend,

  Soph

  PS It doesn’t look sick to me, or act sick.

  PPS How do you tell if a chick is sick?
>
  Date: Tuesday, September 9

  To: Sophie Brown

  From: Hortensia James

  Subject: RE: RE: RE: New roost for chicks

  Dear Soph,

  No, I don’t think anything’s wrong with your chick. It sounds like you’re taking great care of your new birds. As long as the chicks are moving around, eating, drinking, and pooping normally, I wouldn’t worry. I just like to hear about any differences in new chicks, in case it’s a new color for that breed and type, or something like that. I’ll probably ask you for another photo once the chick has grown up, but there’s nothing to worry about.

  Thanks for the photo—I think they’re adorable when they flop down like that!

  Your friend,

  Hort

  Wednesday, September 10

  Jim Brown

  Heaven’s Barn

  Dear Great-Uncle Jim,

  Sam was kind of quiet at lunch today. She didn’t even really answer Xochi’s llama questions—and Sam always wants to talk about llamas. Finally, after Chris asked her for the third time what was up with her, she said, “I don’t know. Probably this is way too big a project for us….But maybe, someday—could we build a chicken coop?”

  “Are you finally going to get chickens?” Chris asked, staring at her.