Lots still going on in preparation of the chicks getting big enough to move into the coop. Right now they are living in a blue tub in the garage with a heat lamp.
See my new chair that I can perch on to watch and take pics of the girls! I can not believe it matches the run and coop perfectly. Like they were made for each other. The Ellison's got me the planter at one of my favorite Amish places. I can't decide if want to paint it the same color or leave it like it is. And I haven't decided what flowers to put in it yet. I might even have to mover it to another location so it is not in front of what could possibly be great photo opts.
Yep, you see it! A chicken swing. Go ahead and laugh and make fun of my chicken swing. Doesn't bother me at all. I just don't want the chickens to get bored and start poking on each other. They look so ugly when that happens. The yahoos and I make the swing yesterday...for free. If you check the out on the Internet they are around $50. Who knows we might make more someday.
I have faithfully been reading My Pet Chicken Handbook. This is the same place we where we ordered my girls.
This is what I have learned today. My chicks came a day old. That means they were hatched on April 7th and put in a box with a warmer and delivered to my front door on April 8. The brooder box(cage) needed to be ready for their arrival. We chose a plastic tub simply because it will be easy to clean. We needed a one quart feeder and a one quart waterer...got that last summer while we were browsing Tractor Supply...pine shavings, 25 pounds of chick feed (and the bag will be a really nice tote), 250 watt red heat bulb ( the red light keeps them from pecking each other), and some type of covering...we don't have that yet because they aren't jumping or trying to fly out of the brooder yet.
You are going to crack up when you read the next part but it is part of being Chickie Ma and I had to do it. When I first got them out of their warm little box nest I had to check each one for pasting...crusty chicken butt. I had to make sure that their little vents were not sealed. That could be disastrous. Also I had to check to see if the umbilical cords were gone. If I had to clean them up I would do it with a warm rag and then dry then thoroughly with a hairdryer. The things you must do...never dreamed I'd be doing that!
I also had to make sure that they drank water and ate a little bit. I can say they are good eaters. But some of them had to be lead to the water. I read in the book that is they were having trouble to place clean colorful marbles in the water. This would jazz up water they would become curious and peck at the marbles resulting in finding the water and drinking it. Most of them found the water on their own. I had to help a few. Now they are all good eater and drinkers.
The girls will live in some type of brooder until they are 6 weeks old then they will be moved to the coop and run. Within two weeks we will move them to a larger brooder with a cover for sure. The temperature needs to be at 100 for the first week and then it drops 5 degrees each week. So if you do the math right by the time they are ready to go outside it should be around 75 degrees.
When they are two weeks old and if the weather is warm and if there is no wind, I will be able to take them out and let the scratch around in the run for just a little while. Sorta give them a taste to what is to come.
I can hardly wait for you to see them. I have to get a few extra hands for photography. So as soon as I can manage that I will post each chick with their name. You are going to love it I am sure of it!
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