The Eggs Are Here!

At last! My first round of hatching eggs of the season is in my incubators, and on their way to hatching in just a few short weeks! Imported chicks will arrive around the same time, and it will be an all-out peeping-chicken fest! The pictures below are of the actual eggs, and could become your chicks!

Eggs are much like starting seeds, you collect the seeds, you plant them, give them what they need to grow and then they germinate, producing beautiful leaves and flowers. Much like gardening, hatching chicken eggs comes with its own set of challenges, obstacles and surprises. As the proverb goes... never count your chickens before they hatch!

In the incubator now...

French Black Copper Marans

Blue/Black/Splash Orpingtons

Olive Eggers (French Maran/Ameraucana Cross)

Polish Frilkies (Silkie/Frizzle Polish Cross)

Pure Silkies (White, Buff, Partridge, Black, Blue)

I also have one very special egg for my own personal flock, an egg called Bella Jr., after her mother Bella, a Lavender d'Uccle bantam. I'll be posting updates on Bella Jr. and the other eggs every week, including my first set of candling pictures on day 7 of incubation.

Spring Chicken Art by David Brown

Here are some spring chicken inspired paintings 

by artist David Brown of Connecticut, USA.

Most chicken-art I tend to see it rather, kitchy or cheesy, but these oil paintings are actually really nice! His use of shadow, sun and juxtaposition is wonderful. I'll have to make my own chicken art soon enough. Enjoy chicken lovers, and lovers of art alike! Visit David Brown's website for more information and artwork.

April Updates!

Happy spring season from Summer Girl Chicks!

Despite the cold rain and snow we've been receiving, spring is certainly on it's way. The tulips and daffodils are on their way, any day now, the whole landscape will be in bloom! Something about chickens and the spring time makes me feel so happy and joyous, finally pushing that winter gloom aside!

I have some great updates, my first batch of imported chicks are on their way and I'm setting fresh eggs the incubators this weekend. The chicks are finally coming! Pictures and more information to come! Happy gardening, chicken keeping and prepping to you all!








Did you know that daffodils are natural pest deterrents? Planting daffodil bulbs around your urban coop can help deter raccoons, gofers, and squirrels from your hens and eggs, as they are slightly toxic and smell bad to these animals. Not to mention they are colourful, beautiful, scented, and excellent cut flowers!

Chicken Therapy!

Summer Girl Chicks is now offering Animal Assisted Therapy, using Bantam Chickens! Bantam chickens are essentially mini-chickens, weighing in at half the size of a Standard breed hen. They are very tame, sweet and curious, a great alternative therapy animal. Contrary to popular belief, chicken can be kept very clean, be very social and often seek-out human affection.

Starting now, you can book a session for May or June chicken visits. Visits can be customized to your group or individual needs. Group sessions are free, and for private sessions we ask for a small donation to continue our AAT-Chicken therapy program. Baby chicks are also available.

For more information please visit the Chicken Therapy page.

Send a message through the Contact page to book a visit today.

Hillside Festival Workshop!

My workshop proposal made it into Hillside this year! What an amazing opportunity! This year is Hillside's 30th anniversary, and I am so proud to be a part of it! If you're planning on being at the Hillside Festival I'll see you in the DIY tent, if not, don't worry I'll be holding workshops in May at the Guelph public library (Main & Westminster branches). More info to come!

Happy Easter & April Fool's!

Happy Easter! Everyday is feeling more and more like spring! I hope you all had an amazing Easter weekend, dreaming of your chicks and chickens to come! If Easter doesn't make you think of baby chicks, I don't know what will! It will really be nice to see the egg baskets collected next spring from the baby chicks born this year, it's a very exciting thought!

Stay tuned for my next post about dealing with Children, Chicks & Dogs. How to socialize chicks and chickens. Watching dog behavior around chicks and chickens, teaching Fido to be a protector and not a predator!

Check out this funky vintage Easter photograph, I wonder what they were thinking. How did this come to be? It's a bit humpty-dumpty, but I though it was fitting on the Easter Holiday and both April Fools. That's all the joking you'll get out of me.

In no time at all the crocus and other early spring blooms will be out and I'll be an anxious as every to get started on my hatches and get out of school!

Happy Easter!