Growin’

The chicks are growing so fast!  I believe all of them had a few feathers when they arrived, but were slower and didn’t have that leggy, steady look.  Now they look taller, thinner, and more alert.  They are however, still cute as the dickens!!  I sure hope they like this tank because they’ll be in it for a while.  The wahoo will not be warm enough for them to live there; I’m guessing, for at least another three weeks, maybe four.  Oh, well.

By the way, last week we also brought the first of the pigs to the farm.  We have 18 in the pens thus far, and Eric figures we need another four or five to fill all of our requests.  Then, we need to get the sheep.  I had hoped to have one of our rabbits bred by now, but am so thankful!  It’s just too cold for a batch of little hairless babies. 

I haven’t been out to see any of these new additions…there might be pictures when it thaws!!

Chickens

The other day, my hubby and I were trying to remember the sequence of how we moved the chickens and merged the two flocks last year.  I thought I’d written down details in my calendar .. nada.  Checked through my blog posts, too .. nada.  The only thing I wrote about was prepping the holding pen and the  successful move to the holding pen.  At some point in the next couple weeks, the door was left open and the two flocks merged.  (I’m pretty sure they were merged by November 5 or 6th when we went Deer Hunting at Grandma & Grandpa Golden Acres’ farm.)  Then the establishment of pecking order ensued … and Hen Savers were ordered.  I need to do a better job of recording!

So as to not miss this year’s details before they are forgotten …

On the morning of August 13th, 2011, the Barred Rocks and Buff Orpingtons were moved to the holding pen in the large coop.  The Ameraucanas were moved to the larger pen with outdoor access in the Wahoo. 

 

The Ameraucanas have the better deal in this rearrangement.  It’s hard for me to not give the the Rocks and Buffs access to the outside.  But, merging flocks takes time and it’s for their protection to be near, but not with.  For a treat, tomorrow I plan go out and let them roam the whole coop while all the older hens stay outside for the morning.  It’s recommended that the flocks be within sight of each other for 4-6 weeks before ‘accidentally’ leaving a door open.  I hope this merge goes a little better than last year’s!

The three youngest chicks remain in their water tank pen, but a perch was added for their pleasure and entertainment.

Did I mention that one of my Wyandottes is broody?  The silly hen.  I have wooden eggs that are supposed to help new layers and are supposed to deter egg peckers.  (The hen that pecks eggs is smart, cuz the wooden eggs haven’t stopped her… and I’m not smart enough to be able to figure her out or she’d be stew.)  Anyway, the broody hen sits on the wooden eggs!  We collect the eggs she lays and she’ll switch nests so she has something to sit on.  Silly hen…she’s never met a rooster.

Small Success

My small success for today was to finally get the next ‘pen’ set up for the chicks.  They’ve been too big for the box & metal water tank brooders for at least 5 days, but there just hadn’t been time to get them moved.  Thankfully, Louis took a nap this morning and I was able to build the pen and move the chicks to their new home.

Old Brooders

Their first pen, was just the metal water tank, then at about 2 weeks, they were split into two groups.  The above photo was taken right before  moving the chicks to their new, larger pen.

New Pen/Brooder – Before and After Chicks!

This new pen is set up in my hubby’s garage stall.  Plastic garbage bags on the cement floor, next is a newspaper layer, followed by a 2” layer of sawdust.  I switched to the gallon sized waterer and was able to hang their feeder.  I anticipate less food waste and that the water will stay cleaner longer.  As the chicks have grown, their love of scratching around has grown as well!  It creates a lot of dust and mess.

Another taller piece of cardboard was added around the perimeter for good measure.  The last few times I’ve driven away, I’ve been worried about coming home to a garage full of chicks running and roosting on whatever they can reach!

By the way, I continue to be AMAZED at how fast these birds grow!  Lots of feathers coming in all over, combs starting to develop, feet are bigger, and they’re starting to fly a bit - not out of the pen, yet, thank goodness.  It sure is fun to see the black and white color patterns developing.

  

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…

 

Bird-watching and feeding

I stayed with a good friend a couple weekends ago, and she is a bird-watcher. She has at least three bird feeders outside her kitchen window. It was fun to watch - I learned that the yellow bird that's been flitting around my flower/herb pots is actually is an American Goldfinch. Their color makes them easy to spot (well, actually it was easier before all the dandelions started blooming!).

Anyway, when at Tractor Supply on a rabbit supply run, I talked my hubby into getting a double sock finch feeder and finch 'food'. Yesterday, Angelina, Graham and I hung it on a tree in the tree row - planted by Grandma & Grandpa Green Acres - that isn't too far from the kitchen/dining room windows. We can see the feeder, but not really up close.

My helpers - Angelina & Graham posing with the feeder after hanging.

Angelina worried that the birds wouldn't find it, but the finches found it within a half hour and have been enjoying their newfound source of seed since. The neat thing about this feeder is that the finches are the only ones which will perch/hang on the bags to eat the seeds. Their bright yellow color makes them easy to spot when they are feeding. I just wonder how long a bag of seed will last out here!!