Chicken memories for life

Emma Lasko pets Chickamina.

The girls and I have had a busy week.

There is always a lot of fanfare when the new little girls come to Klucker Farms. Who can pass up seeing a cute chick? My friends Scott and Christina Levine brought their two children, Phoebe, and Emmett, out to the see the girls a week ago. Phoebe was a seasoned veteran. She had been here two years ago. And Emmett, well, he was still in the womb.

I took the kids out back and had them greet the older chickens first. I asked Phoebe if she remembered coming two years ago and, sure enough, she did. I said, “These are those same chicks all grown up.” It's amazing how time flies.

I showed the kids how much the girls love eating grass. So, we threw in a bunch for them to eat. Emmett got a huge kick out of the chickens. What an awesome little chicken farmer he would be.

After saying “Hi” to the old girls, we proceeded into the new coop to see the chicks. The girls did really well since the only visitors have been me, my parents and husband. I put some feed in the palm of my hand to get the girls' attention, which helped get them a little closer to me and the kids. The girls ate right out of Phoebe's hand. I also managed to catch a few to have them pet. Chicks are so fuzzy and cute; therefore, making them irresistible. I am sure Phoebe will remember this visit for years to come.

My friends, Niki and Vic Lasko, came by Friday night with their children to visit the chicks on the last leg of their vacation before returning home. I took the kids over to see the older chickens first. This time I had some wonderful meal worms for the girls to eat. I told my friends' daughter, Emma, to hold out her hand and throw them through the fence to the girls. She was ecstatic with the girls' response to the worms. Meal worms are like candy to chickens. I don't think they sat there 10 seconds before they scooped them up. Emma was having the time of her life and making some of her first chicken memories.

We then proceeded to the main attraction – the little girls. The looks on the kids' faces were priceless. I grabbed some chicks for them to pet, which was the icing on the cake for them. I was amazed when one of my Red Stars stood by Emma to be petted. You didn't have to coax this chick with food; she loved the attention. Talk about a neat experience for Emma to take back home with her.

Before they left, I had to bring out Chickamina, my one and only truly domesticated chicken. Chickamina is unbelievable. I swear she is more like a dog than a chicken. Every night I let her out of the coop to follow me around in the yard. It is absolutely hilarious. This little chicken loves me. I have conditioned Chickamina to run after me to get a cold drink of water from the hose. She will drink right out of the hose if I let her. I also fill a gallon milk jug, which she drinks out of too. This is one spoiled chicken.

I wanted Emma to see this so I went through our nightly routine. Chickamina didn't mind the kids at all. On the contrary, she loved the attention and being petted. Niki and Vic couldn't believe how tame this little 4-pound chicken was. I guess I just have a way with animals – a little like Dr. Doolittle.

Not only was this a busy week, but we had a big first too. It was monumental enough to put in their baby book. Mothers document their child's first steps; I document my girls' first time roosting. A few of my leghorns advanced to the top of the flock by flying up and resting on their roost. It is almost hard to believe something that small could fly so high.

To wrap up the week, my husband installed a camera in the coop so I could watch them from the comfort of my bedroom. I can lay in bed at night and watch my chicks. Who needs cable TV? I sure don't. This still blows my mind.

We made a lot of memories over the last two weeks at Klucker Farms. Four little kids left with some wonderful memories. Memories, that I hope, will last for years to come.

A whole lotta cheeping going on

Angie Gabriel bonds with her Red Star chick.

 The waiting is finally over.

My new chicks came into my life last Wednesday with a phone call from the U.S. Postal Service. When I get chicks, I always have the same mixed feelings of anxiousness and excitement. I'm anxious to get them home as soon as possible and I'm excited, because well, their lives are just beginning. And, to tell you honestly, I can't think of a better place than Klucker Farms for their journey to begin.

When I welcomed my first chicks six years ago, I didn't know what to expect. Like any new mother, I was so afraid of doing something wrong or, more importantly, I didn't want to hurt them. Chicks are a bit intimidating. They fit in the palm of your hand and are extremely fragile. If you drop one or accidentally hold it wrong, you could kill it or injure a wing. So, needless to say, when I have children visit Klucker Farms, I am always holding the chick.

These little girls received the celebrity treatment. In response to the blog I wrote a few weeks ago about a chick registry, my cousin, Cheri, made sure these little gals started off on the right foot. She sent the girls a hanging feeder, gallon waterer, a stylish pink feed scoop, chick starter/grower, scratch grains, Happy Hen treats and an egg basket. Cheri has chickens too, which makes our cousin bond that more special. And, I also look forward to our chicken chats on Facebook.

My mom rode along with me to pick up my chicks last Wednesday afternoon. It's always nice to have someone along who can hold the box. The little chicks move around quite a bit and it's nice, I think, for someone to hold it and keep the box as still as possible. The last thing I want to do is slam on the brakes and have 58 chicks flying through the air.

Picking up my chicks always puts a smile on my face. Nothing can top the love I feel for them at that moment. I feel like the Grinch when his heart grew bigger and bigger with love for the people in Whoville.

So, after the post master handed my cheeping chicks over to me, I carefully placed the box on my mother's lap. Since chicks have to stay nice and warm, we turned off the air conditioning. I try to go above and beyond for my girls. My needs and wants come second. They are only babies; their lives are in my hands.

Since we turned off the air conditioning, I made an executive decision to take a little different route home. I am a sucker for ice cream – especially Whitey's ice cream, which is based out of the Quad-Cities. I also wanted to see what kind of a reaction I would get from the employees there.

When I pulled up to the drive-up window, the young boy looked a bit startled when he heard loud cheeps coming from the box on my mother's lap. To assure him that I wasn't smuggling something illegal or had exotic chicks from outer space stuffed in there I said, “I just picked up my baby chicks.” However, he still looked at me like I had just come from the funny farm.

The ice cream helped cool me off on the way home, but I could have used some later after placing them under the heat lamp. When we finally arrived at Klucker Farms, I had to take each chick out individually and dip their beaks in the water and feed. Since their mother wasn't there to show them what to do, it was my job to step in and show them the way. I think I sweated off 10 pounds under those heat lamps, but it was worth it.

My girls are a week old now and flourishing. They are running around, perching on top of their cardboard brooder and exploring their new surroundings. I love to pick them up and talk to them. I tell them what good girls they are and how much I love them.

My chickens have become such a big part of my life. I waited my whole life to raise them. I wanted to be a farmer as a young girl and it took me 33 years to get to this point. There isn't a day that goes by that I take them for granted or the valuable lessons they have taught me in return. No matter where I go or what I do, I will always be the chicken lady.