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05/18/2017 12:01 AMWhen it comes to pets, my kids have figured out I am the parent who will agree to anything—any creature great or small. I can say “No” to just about anything: a phone? More iPad time? More video games? Soda? Nope, nope, nope, and nope. But when it comes to animals, I am the parent of “Yes.” I am probably even more insane over animals than my kids are.
Two things have saved me from myself so far: First, we are still renting and can’t have a pet, so as we drive around the shoreline area and my kids see an assortment of animals (Llamas! Sheep! Goats! Horses! Ducks! And yes, something as pedestrian as a dog!) I have been able to say “Yes” with enthusiasm and aplomb. “Yes” to every beast, every fowl, because I can be reasonably certain that by the time we buy a house, my kids will have forgotten at least half of the animals I agreed to.
Still, like my kids, I am drawn to the fantasy of a menagerie in our future backyard. Every time I agree to welcome another species into our family, I make it my job to learn everything I can about caring for that animal. To date, I am a mini-expert in the care of Flemish giant rabbits, cats, every size dog from teacup Chihuahua to Irish wolfhound, bearded dragons, turtles, cockatiels, hamsters, chinchillas, and yes, I have even started researching llama care.
I have to be singularly prepared in the unlikely event that we bring one of these creatures into our future home because, as my husband as made clear each time he hears me agree to another animal, he wants nothing, repeat nothing, to do with this madness:
“A llama? Are you kidding?” (I could sell yarn—once I actually learn how to shear. Wait, do you shear llamas? Let me Google that...)
“How on earth is owning a goat a good idea?” (Nature’s Lawn Mower. Duh.)
“I just want to be clear that I am not going to be the one taking the new corgi/Newfoundland/Great Dane/Irish wolfhound/Pekingnese outside to pee in the middle of the night.” (Come on, I would never ask you to—okay, fine. Fair point.).
The kids and I were at a lull in our ongoing discussion about future pets in our future house until this spring. It seems that spring has sprung and with the gorgeous flowers come the dog walkers, the sheep grazing in the meadows, the cows ambling in the fields, our collective minds are again spinning—what pet shall we dream about next?
And that’s when a friend mentioned that she had to go pick up the chicks she had ordered.
Chicks, you say?
The kids and I were both instantly delighted at the thought. Fluffy yellow chicks—what a great way to welcome spring. In preparation for our future chickens, I dove into research mode.
The first thing you might want to do is pre-order your chicks. Most feed supply stores have chicks available once or twice a year, and judging from the crowd that we saw when I went with my friend to pick up her fluffy young charges, reserving chicks isn’t a bad idea.
Your chicks will need shelter. A shelter can be anything from humble tubs or basins to elaborate coops and handmade houses complete with sweeping stairways. My friend started out using a plastic tub, but quickly transitioned to her old wire dog crate. This change was prompted by a daring chicken escape one night. Overnight, my friend’s baby chicks discovered they could hop rather high, and when she came down in the morning, she had a mini chicken parade in her den. Also, because you will be using a heating lamp, plastic tubs might not be the best option. I will say that the dog crate seemed to work very well, and my friend added some strategically placed branches so the chicks could enjoy their new-found hopping skill.
You will also need bedding: nothing fancy, just a few inches of pine shavings over newspaper for easy clean up.
A feeding trough is a must, along with some chicken starter feed. You will also need a waterer and sometimes, as my friend’s children learned via the Internet, you have to introduce chicks to the water by dipping their beak when you first get them home.
Don’t forget the heat lamp! The overall consensus among chicken-experts seems to be that the temperature should be kept between 92 to 100 degrees until the chicks are two weeks old or until they start getting feathers. Then you can reduce the heat by 5 degrees every week.
Finally, as adorable as baby chicks are, all poultry can carry salmonella. So keep some hand sanitizer on hand, or be sure to wash up after handling or caring for your chicks.
Then all you have to do is assemble a list of your best omelet recipes, and send out invites to brunch. See? It’s perfect: Fresh homemade omelets from your chickens that you can eat while wearing hand knit sweaters from your llamas, all the while the bearded dragons keep the insects at bay while you watch your goat handle the yard work.
Claudia Grazioso is a columnist who lives in Guilford.