They arrived exactly on the date expected and in seemingly very good shape.
We ordered 25 chicks split with our daughter so we each would have about a dozen new birds, all sexed . . . female, of course.
Straight out of the box and into the brooder they were oh-so-eager to eat and drink, drink, drink.
Then they all immediately went into a huddle under the heat lights to take away the chill from their journey. (We had frost again this morning.)
A stamp on the outside of the box said, "Extra chicks included for warmth." The actual number of chicks, counted as we placed them in the brooder, was 37! Goodness, that means we've ended up with a dozen more chicks than we ordered and paid for. You can't beat that for good will from the hatchery.
Now I'm wondering if the extra dozen are all . . . roosters?! If so, it's not a terrible, awful, bad thing as my freezer has been devoid of chicken meat for a while now.
What varieties did we order? We got a mixture of Speckled Sussex, Cuckoo Maran, and our favorites, Black Australorp. Dear Daughter has her own different varieties, and tonight when she picks hers up, we may be scratching our heads as we try to identify each variety of little chick. Plus, those extra twelve may add to the confusion. It should be interesting!
19 comments:
Wow, you have a good life. Love to see your feathered friends.
Woohoo! I now feel less insane, with all my poultry! I meant to ask if you would share how you handled water in the brooder with your goslings. I'm about to provide paddles to the ducklings.
DDD - We do have a good life and are happy doing what we're doing. It's also BUSY . . . especially this time of year!
Susan - That's our aim . . . to make you feel less insane! ;o}
In one of the above pictures, I think you can see the quart water jar screwed into one of those plastic trays. The goslings (and ducklings) are so sloppy with their water that we set the watering jug inside an aluminum pie pan . . . which helps to catch some of the water . . . but it's still a mess. :o/ Don't know how to get around it.
I remember going in our local postoffice in small town Minnesota this time of the year and you could hear the peepings of the chickens as you came in the door. Sure brings back some good memories.
Mama Pea,
There adorable......I want some now!!!
Hubby would kill me right now if I picked up some. He wants me to wait for our next place.
I would love to be a fly on your wall tonight as you sort through those cuties.
Myrna - Because we don't live in "farm" country way up here in Minnesota near the Canadian border, peep-peeping chicks are kind of a rarity in our post office. It's so much fun to see how excited the staff gets over them when they arrive.
Sandy - They are SO adorable when they're this young. Too bad this stage goes by way too quickly!
We are enjoying our Australorps....and Buff's and Buckeyes and the extra roosters are tasty. This makes me want the hens to go broody faster!
We had the delight of having a hen suddenly appear with nine little black balls of fluff running around her. It was a wonderful surprise as we didn't know that she had hidden herself away to get this bunch hatched!
Sweet box of joy! Someone would be a TRILLIIONAIRE if they could make them stay that adorable. Of course, we might all starve.....
:D
I'm on my sixth iteration of duckling waterer and it's only slightly better. I can hear those little flat feet squishing around...
Fiona - Having broody hens makes the whole process of replacement chickens so much easier, doesn't it? And less expensive, too!
Vera - Nine! That gives you the possibility of 4-5 new hens, plus some roosters for food consumption. That's what I call a good surprise!
Sue - Or . . . think of the little itty-bitty tiny eggs you'd get from them. ;o} "I'd like a 52 egg omelette, please."
Enjoy your cool weather, grass here is already dry, brown, and crunchy, fire season is here already.
Tombstone Livestock - Your lovely green-ness didn't last long, did it? Hoping you have no fires near you this year.
I had no idea they give you extra chicks for warmth!! I do hope they are hens. They are so adorable, but you're right, that doesn't last very long. Soon their little wing feathers will be growing in. Thanks for sharing. -Jenn
Jenn - And, boy howdy! Have they ever started going through the feed. A bunch of real Hungry Hermans!!
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