Feathering the nest

The chicks arrived today!  I got a call from the postmistress at about 7:30am letting me know I could come and pick up my little fluff balls.  They are the cutest little balls of yellow, black, and grey fluff.  I pretty much flew out the door and down the road to the post office.  Thank goodness Eric was home, cuz I didn’t even tell the kids I was going!  I was a little excited.

 

 

The little chicks sat beside me on the passenger seat.  They chirped all the way back to the farm.  I’d forgotten how loud they can be.

 

 

 

Their brooder home was set up just in time, too.  Eric and I waited as long as possible, because we wanted to set it up in the detached garage – that plan changed and they are in the ‘house’ garage for now.  I hope they’ll be happy in their cozy little home.  My husband is the reason we have a water tank brooder; I had planned to create a cardboard lined home for the chicks.  The water tank is much easier and better contains the bedding.  Plus, once the detached garage is finished, we can just pick up the tank and carry it to it’s new home.

   

 

 

When I got home, I went in and called all the kids out to the garage.  We waited … somewhat patiently for Dash to get back from doing outside chores.  Louis blew bubbles in the stroller, Graham tried to sneak a peak through the box’s air holes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We gathered all the kids around before lifting the cover & then surprise!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The chicks are shipped in a cardboard box; 25 chicks on each side.  I ordered straight-run, which it less expensive.  It means that the chicks are not ‘sexed’ before being shipped.  That was fine for us because we intend to only keep 10-15 for laying. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My mom taught me to remove the egg-tooth (it’s a sharp little point on the end of their beak that helps them break through the shell) as the first step.  Next, we dip their beaks in water and food.  The little chicks don’t have a hen to show them, so we help them along.  Angelina caught on and helped get them adjusted in their brooder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zeke holding his first chick … Graham was quite so sure.  “It’s scratching me,” he said.  But, he’ll come around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angelina has already named two: the lightest and darkest chicks (Sunny and Blackie, respectively, because we don’t know their genders, yet).  Dash thought it was cool, but maybe teenagers just like to stand back and observe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Louis thought we were all paying a little bit too much attention to the chicks, so  he had to remind us that’s he’s where the action is!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, back to the chicks!  They are so darn cute…