A couple weeks ago I showed you our new chicks.
We bought eight Buff Orpington pullets, with the hope that perhaps one of them would turn out to be a rooster for the others. It looks like we got our wish.
The chicks' box resides in the goat barn in the kidding stall, where I can hang a light for them. We started with a heat bulb, but after we got over our frosty nights, I switched to an incandescent bulb (can you believe I still have one?). Incandescent bulbs produce heat, which makes them un-useful in summer, but very useful in winter for warming a small space such as the chicks' box or under a reading lamp. They use a lot less energy than a heat lamp.
The hole in the box lets them get out to explore the kidding stall.
They are almost full feathered, so we should be able to move them out into the refurbished chicken tractor in their new yard soon.
20 comments:
What fun, watching them enjoy their new freedoms!
Glad you got your wish!
Good for you! That's a perfect ratio, I think :) I had 2 broody hens sitting on about 30 eggs ... and I got only one baby chick from it all. LONG story!
Raising chicks was always a highlight in my youth. Although it is associated with one of the two times I can remember getting paddled by my dad. My brother and I were playing with one of those heating bulbs and somehow we broke it into a thousand pieces in the hen house where all the chicks were growing. We kept our sin silent hoping it would be seen as an accident but one of our parents found it later that day and knew right away who had caused the accident. My parents weren't upset at the broken bulb but at us for not telling them about it. I learned that day to fess up to my misdeeds no matter how badly I felt rather than trying to cover them up.
One year I was convinced that my batch of chicks included a Buff Orp rooster, right up until she laid an egg. I hope yours grows into the rooster you are looking for :)
It's funny how it's a guessing game up to a certain point (which might be an egg). My only experience with chickens is when we hatched four eggs in an incubator when I was a child. One ended up being a rooster. I do love looking at the chicks and ducklings when I visit the local Atwood's store. Pat (our Boston Terrier mix) enjoyed seeing them for the first time recently, too. 😂 I hope yours truly is a rooster!
Rosalea, I'm happy that they appear to not be scared of us either. Sometimes our chickens are.
Daisy, let's hope I'm not premature in my assumption!
M. K. good to hear from you! We've had that problem in the past as well. Buffs seem to be the most consistent (in our experience) so that's what we're trying again.
Ed that's a good story and a good lesson.
Quinn, we've had similar experiences! So I'm hopeful, but I know it may be a false hope. :)
Kelly, thanks! So cute about Pat. :)
How sweet! They make me miss having chickens!
How are Buff Orpingtons with egg laying? Are they a mild mannered bird? Do the brood well?
Eggs, chickens really do liven up the place. :)
Kevin, we've found them to be good layers and excellent mothers. I think the best of the various breeds we've tried over the years. Good personalities too.
Ah, this makes me incredibly happy, Leigh. Some of my happiest memories as a child are with chickens.
They are so cute! Do you notice a difference between chickens you hatched and ones that were hatched/raised by a hen?
TB, I'm glad they are good memories. My mother always recalled being chased around by a goose when she was a little girl. She never stopped being afraid of them.
Anonymous, the ones that are hen raised are a little more independent, but they are more self-sufficient. And even though they rely mostly on instinct, they do learn from their mothers and other chickens. Mostly, hen raising is easier because the hens keep them warm, show them what to eat, and keep their bottoms clean. Besides, everything that has a mother is entitled to that mother. Or at least we feel that way.
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