Chick Daze

This years batch of babies arrived today, and everyone appears to be in good health, although we usually lose one or two in the first few days. They'll stay in the 'brooder' for a week or two; once they have real feathers and can regulate their body temperature they'll go in the Baby House, a secure hutch inside Cluckingham Palace. By the time they have outgrown their nursery, the flock will have accepted them and they won't get beaten up when they are finally released. Pecking Order is real, and it can be quite dangerous.

It's difficult to get decent pictures in the brooder because of the heat lamp. The chicks need to be at 95F or so for their first few days. Big batches of day old chicks are shipped in small boxes; this allows them to maintain adequate warmth. After they hatch, the chicks will have about 72 hours of reserve before they must eat and drink. This allows the hatcheries to ship them all over the place-it wouldn't work a few days later though.

The white chicks are Leghorns, they are extremely productive layers of white eggs. The ones with racing stripes are Easter Eggers, they lay lovely tinted eggs of all colors. The plain buff ones are Rhode Island Reds, very productive layers of brown eggs. The dark gray chicks are Cochins-or at least I think that's what they are.


Update: Review of the hatchery account has revealed that the gray chicks are Light Brahmas, very friendly layers of brown eggs.