The Chicks Have Arrived

I am happy to announce that my new chicks have arrived.  I have spent the last couple days gathering the needed supplies for the arrival of the new chicks.  I had to buy a new bulb for my heat lamp since the last one didn't survive the move across the country.  I also bought a fresh supply of chick feed from the local co-op.  I already had the bases of the chick feeder and waterer and all I had to do was dig out a couple of quart mason jars to complete them.  I made sure that I had their brooder box all set up before I brought them home.  In the bottom is a layer of newspaper to make cleaning it out a little easier.  The newspaper is covered with a generous layer of wood shavings for bedding.  I hung the heat lamp about eighteen inches above the brooder to get the correct temperature for the new chicks.

I am starting small in my newest chicken adventure and decided to only get six chickens.  I did want to have a variety so I choose three different kinds and got two of each variety.  The types I chose were Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, and Barred Rocks.  All of these breeds are considered dual purpose which means that they lay a lot of eggs, but also have a meatier frame than exclusive egg layers which makes them good for eating too.  All of these breeds are fairly cold hardy.  The winter temps in this area can get quite cold at night, so I wanted to make sure that I chose birds that would be able to tolerate that well.  In following the cold tolerant logic, I also chose breeds that have smaller combs so they are less likely to get frost bite in the winter.

Right now I have the new chicks set up in a back bedroom - mostly to keep them safe from the cats and dog.  Here they will spend the next few weeks, eating, pooping and sleeping until they have enough feathers to be able to handle outdoor temperatures.  Their brooder box is simply a large rubbermaid bin, which is fine for now, but they will probably outgrow it in a matter of weeks.  Chickens grow amazingly fast!  When they get too big to stay in their brooder, I will move them and their heat lamp to the big coop outside where they will begin their lives as my new flock of laying chickens.