Sorraia
Well-Known Member
For a while I've decided I will get chickens for home-grown/laid eggs, its just been a matter of waiting for the right timing so I can get their coop/run built and am prepared for their arrival. That time has finally come, and they arrived today! 5:15am today I received a call from the post office (unlike most other animals, chickens can be safely and legally delivered via the postal service, as long as they are shipped in appropriate containers and over night or 2-3 day shipping for hatch day chicks, which can survive that time because they still have the remains of their yolk in their abdomen and do not require food or water for the first few days of life), my chicks were there and peeping, come get them! As soon as I got the message I was there (took the day off work to be sure I would be available to pick them up as soon as I got the call) to pick them up. They are now set up and happy in their brooder, happily peeping away, eating, drinking, resting, enjoying the easy life of a chick. They are so darn cute, I almost can't leave them alone! Even though they aren't really doing much, I just want to sit and watch them all day. I couldn't get pictures right away because my camera battery needed to recharge, but now that it has, here are the pictures!
Here is their brooder. They will be moved to bigger quarters in a few days to a week, depending on how quickly they grow and start moving around more. For now this is sufficient and will keep them warm and protected. I have them set up in my sewing room, since I can shut the door and keep them safe from the cats and dogs, it is quiet and peaceful, and I can safely shut the air vent so they can stay warm and draft free (right now they require a temperature of about 96-98 degrees F). They have a red light to help prevent feather picking (chickens are attracted to red, and if they see blood, such as what might occur if a new feather breaks, they will begin to pick at it and can cause serious damage to themselves or each other). The light is also placed at one end of the brooder, instead of the middle, so the chicks can move closer or farther away as needed to stay at a comfortable temperature. I have a thermometer set up to monitor the temperature under the light, but also need to judge the chicks' behavior. So far they are happily moving about, not crammed together on one end of the brooder or the other, which means they are at a comfortable temperature.
Here are the chicks under their light, warm and comfy.
And here's a quick picture of the chicks without the red light so you can see their colorful cuteness. The yellowish/gray chicks are Columbian Wyandottes, the cinnamon colored chicks (such as the one in the bottom right corner of the picture) are Speckled Sussex, the tannish/brown chicks (such as the chick in the middle bottom of the picture) are Golden Laced Wyandottes, and the grayish/black chicks (such as the chick in the left bottom corner of the picture) are Silver Laced Wyandottes.
Here is their brooder. They will be moved to bigger quarters in a few days to a week, depending on how quickly they grow and start moving around more. For now this is sufficient and will keep them warm and protected. I have them set up in my sewing room, since I can shut the door and keep them safe from the cats and dogs, it is quiet and peaceful, and I can safely shut the air vent so they can stay warm and draft free (right now they require a temperature of about 96-98 degrees F). They have a red light to help prevent feather picking (chickens are attracted to red, and if they see blood, such as what might occur if a new feather breaks, they will begin to pick at it and can cause serious damage to themselves or each other). The light is also placed at one end of the brooder, instead of the middle, so the chicks can move closer or farther away as needed to stay at a comfortable temperature. I have a thermometer set up to monitor the temperature under the light, but also need to judge the chicks' behavior. So far they are happily moving about, not crammed together on one end of the brooder or the other, which means they are at a comfortable temperature.
Here are the chicks under their light, warm and comfy.
And here's a quick picture of the chicks without the red light so you can see their colorful cuteness. The yellowish/gray chicks are Columbian Wyandottes, the cinnamon colored chicks (such as the one in the bottom right corner of the picture) are Speckled Sussex, the tannish/brown chicks (such as the chick in the middle bottom of the picture) are Golden Laced Wyandottes, and the grayish/black chicks (such as the chick in the left bottom corner of the picture) are Silver Laced Wyandottes.
