Hip Chick Digs

We hatched a clutch of chicks earlier this summer — a highlight of the season for our kids, who helped care for them from day one. 🐣💛

We’re keeping three to raise with our flock and have found a wonderful home for the other chicks and a couple of our adult hens. At just about a month old, it’s still too early to know who’s a hen or a roo — but we’re adopting them out now so their new family can raise them through the rest of their chickhood.

Hatching chicks has been a gentle, hands-on way for our kids to learn:
— How to gently care for the vulnerable
— That livestock "needs" come before screen time "wants"
— That sometimes you do everything right, but things don't go as planned. We just do our best.

It’s a process rooted in curiosity, responsibility, and sometimes letting go — all valuable lessons in growing up and growing a homestead. 🌱

Have you noticed the egg shortage?? We were on a family vacation last wk + I returned to *so* many questions about the egg shortage, keeping chickens, etc. Grocery store shelves are cleared of eggs + all my baking friends are frustrated!

The current shortage is related to avian flu, which thankfully has not affected our urban flock. We do have plans to add a couple hens to our backyard flock this spring, but I'm now worried chick scarcity might be the next shortage if ppl rush to buy their own backyard flocks...

It's always been a core value of mine to produce as much food as possible from our urban homestead - for both ecological + self sufficiency reasons. The egg shortage is another compelling reason why creating a food productive landscape can be so worthwhile.

July homestead in full swing. Tomatoes head-high + ripening (finally). Pruned them for better air circulation. Underplanted them w cool season carrots + parsnips. Potato greens are starting to die back. All the tender salad greens are gone, soon to be replanted for the cool season. The basket continues to stay full.

Enjoying the view while I can. Soon enough I'll be tied to the canning pot.