It Must Be Spring -- New Chicks Have Arrived!

Way back mid-winter when we placed our order for some new chicks to revitalize our laying stock, who would have guessed it would still be this cold at the end of April?

Regardless, we got a call from our local post office shortly after 7 this morning asking us to come pick up the little peepers.

Upon getting them home, they all looked good except for one little fuzz ball the hatchery had thrown in as a "mystery" chick.  It was splayed out on its side, and I really didn't think it had a chance of making it.  But now, seven hours later, it's up eating and drinking with the rest of the flock.  Tough little bugger.

Our "brooder" is a small garden cart in the garage with a frame on top covered with hardware cloth.  This arrangement is easy to roll outside for cleaning and works well for us.

Here you can see the hardware cloth on which we set the warming lights.  This way there's no danger of the chicks getting too close to them.

The chicks are a mix of Black Australorps, Red Stars and Cuckoo Marans.  All hens except for one Cuckoo Maran rooster.

New chick time should be spring time, but looks as though we've got a week coming up with nothing but very non-spring like weather.  Highs barely reaching the 40s, dampness, grayness, no sunshine and the threat of rain/snow/sleet.  ARRRGH!