Yesterday morning I drove out to Simply Dixon's farm to pick up our chicks. They had ordered over 150 chicks, mostly cornish cross broilers (meat chickens) and golden comets (layers) with some other layers, including my lot of 6 mixed chicks. We had a little trouble telling which ones were probable buff orpingtons so I ended up taking 7 chicks home; Araucana/Ameraucana (Mable), a Barred Rock (Betty), a Golden Comet (Gertrude), a Golden Laced Wyandotte (Ethel), a Rhode Island Red (Scarlett), a possible Buff Orpington (Lucy) that might actually be another Golden Comet, and a bright yellow chick we thought might be a Buff Orpington. The yellow chick was slightly larger than the others and was a bit of a bully. We took it back to their farm tonight because I'm pretty sure it was actually a broiler chick. Even if it isn't, it was too pushy for my taste and just didn't fit with my flock. Once I removed it from the brooder the rest of the chicks spread out a bit more and even seemed more relaxed. I don't think they were particularly fond of it either.
So far all the girls (I really hope they're all girls!) are happy, healthy, readily eating and drinking, and a joy to watch. They'll all be out scratching at dropped feed, running around exploring, drinking, and following each other around, and then one will try to cuddle with another, peep loudly because it's cold, and then run under the brooder to warm up and snooze, followed shortly by the others. For the most part they are pretty quiet; just little peeps chatting to each other. Every now and then they make an excited "trill" and it's an adorable little sound! They're "I'm cold!" chips are loud enough for me to hear it downstairs, but it's very infrequent and not an unpleasant or annoying sound. I woke up to their little peeps this morning and it was a wonderful way to start the morning!
The Binsea EcoGlow 20 has been working wonderfully. They cuddle under it to get warm like they would a mama hen and then venture out when they've had a nap and warmed up. So far they seem to spend about 50% of their time under the EcoBrooder sleeping and the rest out exploring. At night, they all huddle under it and sleep in silence.
There was a bit of a learning curve using the poultry nipple waterers. We had trouble finding a bottle that didn't hang too low in the brooder and held enough water. We ended up using a small Gatorade bottle that I tied yarn around to hang it from. It would work great for the first few taps, but then water wouldn't come out when the chicks pecked at it. I figured out that it wasn't letting air into the bottle so I drilled a hole in the top of the bottle and now that air can get back in the bottle the nipple works great. They're meant to be gravity fed, not used on an air-tight container. The chicks took to it right away and greedily drink water laced with a TINY bit of molasses from it. I had a small dish of water available to them when I was figuring out the issue with the bottle and although they drank from the bowl, they also stood and pooped in it. I'm very pleased with how well the nipple waterer works. Their water stays nice and clean, I don't worry about them drowning, and I don't have to refill it several times a day.
The chicks are currently eating Hiland Naturals Chick Starter, but I'm in the process of getting Countryside Organics soy free, certified organic, non-GMO feed for them. Tomorrow I'll be digging up a small clump of grass/clover with some dirt and sprinkling their feed with some garlic powder. Monday when I brew kombucha, I'll pull out the oldest scoby, chop it up fine, and give it to the girls. Sometime soon I'm going to try fermenting their feed.
Enough commentary, meet the girls!
Mable the Araucana/Ameraucana (AKA Easter Egger)
So far all the girls (I really hope they're all girls!) are happy, healthy, readily eating and drinking, and a joy to watch. They'll all be out scratching at dropped feed, running around exploring, drinking, and following each other around, and then one will try to cuddle with another, peep loudly because it's cold, and then run under the brooder to warm up and snooze, followed shortly by the others. For the most part they are pretty quiet; just little peeps chatting to each other. Every now and then they make an excited "trill" and it's an adorable little sound! They're "I'm cold!" chips are loud enough for me to hear it downstairs, but it's very infrequent and not an unpleasant or annoying sound. I woke up to their little peeps this morning and it was a wonderful way to start the morning!
The Binsea EcoGlow 20 has been working wonderfully. They cuddle under it to get warm like they would a mama hen and then venture out when they've had a nap and warmed up. So far they seem to spend about 50% of their time under the EcoBrooder sleeping and the rest out exploring. At night, they all huddle under it and sleep in silence.
There was a bit of a learning curve using the poultry nipple waterers. We had trouble finding a bottle that didn't hang too low in the brooder and held enough water. We ended up using a small Gatorade bottle that I tied yarn around to hang it from. It would work great for the first few taps, but then water wouldn't come out when the chicks pecked at it. I figured out that it wasn't letting air into the bottle so I drilled a hole in the top of the bottle and now that air can get back in the bottle the nipple works great. They're meant to be gravity fed, not used on an air-tight container. The chicks took to it right away and greedily drink water laced with a TINY bit of molasses from it. I had a small dish of water available to them when I was figuring out the issue with the bottle and although they drank from the bowl, they also stood and pooped in it. I'm very pleased with how well the nipple waterer works. Their water stays nice and clean, I don't worry about them drowning, and I don't have to refill it several times a day.
The chicks are currently eating Hiland Naturals Chick Starter, but I'm in the process of getting Countryside Organics soy free, certified organic, non-GMO feed for them. Tomorrow I'll be digging up a small clump of grass/clover with some dirt and sprinkling their feed with some garlic powder. Monday when I brew kombucha, I'll pull out the oldest scoby, chop it up fine, and give it to the girls. Sometime soon I'm going to try fermenting their feed.
Enough commentary, meet the girls!
Mable the Araucana/Ameraucana (AKA Easter Egger)
Apparently the Ameraucanas were a straight run so there is a possibility Mable is a rooster. I really hope not! Easter Eggers lay green, blue, or even pink eggs and the birds come in a wide variety of colors. I picked this one because of the red on her head and the bluish slate color on her neck/black. Hopefully she's pretty when she's all feathered out.
Betty the Barred Plymouth Rock
Betty the Barred Plymouth Rock
Barred Rocks are a very iconic chicken to me and my grandma always pointed them out at the country fair every summer. They were one of her favorites.
Lucy the Buff Orpington
Lucy the Buff Orpington
Buff Orpingtons are touted to be fantastic layers and are often referred to as the "lap dog" of chickens due to their easy going, friendly personality.
Gertrude the Golden Comet
Gertrude the Golden Comet
Golden Comets are also called Red Stars, Comets, Golden Buffs, Golden Sex Links, ISA Browns, Red Sex Links, or Cinnamon Queens. They are a cross between a Rhode Island rooster and a White Plymoth Rock hen. They are a sex-linked bird meaning that male chicks are a different color than female chicks. They're a hybrid so a Golden Comet bred to another Golden Comet would make "mutt" chicks. Might be a fun experiment at some point!
Ethel the Golden Laced Wyandotte
Ethel the Golden Laced Wyandotte
Hubster picked that breed. I couldn't decide between a Silver Laced Wyandotte or a Golden Laced Wyandotte. I kinda feel like she's his chicken. It makes me happy that they aren't just my chickens. She sure will be gorgeous when she feathers out!
Scarlett the Rhode Island Red
Scarlett the Rhode Island Red
Rhode Island Reds were another of Grandma's favorites and are a very reliable layer.
The Little Yellow Chick
The Little Yellow Chick
This chick was not very nice. It pushed the others out of the way for food and water, cheeped VERY loudly much too often, pecked at the other chick's eyes occasionally, and was just all around a bully. I'm hoping it actually was a broiler because it's personality was not great for a layer. You can even see the evil in its eyes in this picture...
Here's our brooder set-up:
Here's our brooder set-up:
We cut the middle out of the lid of a large sweater box, drilled holes around the cut out, and zip tied some hardware cloth to make the brooder. So far it works great! It's lined with a puppy pad right now while the chicks figure out what food is. We'll be adding pine shavings in another day or two.
The girls love to explore together and are proving to be a very peaceful mixed flock.