Springtime Chicks!

Spring in our household usually means a shipment of baby chickies at some point.  Last year we didn't get any and our egg production is suffering because of it.  Mom is feeding around 30 chickens and only gets around 6 eggs a day.  Since a hen should lay about 1 egg a day or even every other day, that means we have a lot of slackers in our coop.  So Mom was certain she needed a fresh batch of chicks this spring.

We have always gotten ours through the mail from Murray McMurray Hatchery.  They ship them at only a day old and since they are going through the mail they have to send a certain quantity at a time.  We have always gotten 25 for this reason but recently they lowered the number to 15 if you have them shipped after April 1st (it's warm enough that you don't need so many).  There are plenty of varieties to choose from and Mom likes docile hens that are good layers.  This year we got...

Ameraucanas

Who lay blue-green eggs

Buff Rocks

And Australorps

Who both lay brown eggs

They are currently living in a large cardboard box in the laundry room and every morning Ariel goes to the door and looks at you like, "You gonna take care of my chickies?"

She's a pretty good mother hen.  At almost a week old you can see the tiny feathers showing up on their wings, they've gotten visibly bigger and the running from one side of the box to the other has started.  

By next week will probably move out to the coop because they will start jumping and trying to fly.  We have the big coop cordoned off into a baby chick and an adult hen side so that the hens don't pick on them.  Eventually as the new chickies get bigger Mom moves the older hens to the far run and small coop and lets the new ones have the run of the bigger coop and yard.  The fence in between lets them get used to seeing each other without hurting each other.  In time the door will be opened and the two will mix pretty well.  Of course there is always a pecking order to be established.  Can't help that!