The phone rang at the farm this morning…at 6:30AM…and caller ID showed the call was from the “US Gov’t”. Not usually something you like to see before coffee in the morning. However, it was our local post office calling to tell us “you have some baby chicks here ready for pick up”!
We set up the brooder box over the weekend in anticipation of our new arrivals, so all we had to do was collect them, and bring them home.
Once we brought them inside, we carefully opened the lid of the chirping box, and see that every single chick had arrived safe and sound.
Live Baby Chicks Arrive at Curbstone Valley
One by one we introduced each chick to the water font, and set it under the heat lamp. What really impressed us was the energy level of all the chicks immediately on arrival.
Once set in the brooder they began to drink water straight away, which was an excellent sign, and as you can see from this video clip that we shot as soon as the last chick was set in the brooder, they immediately started to zip around and explore their new environment.
For the first day we’ve lined the brooder floor with newspaper to discourage the chicks from eating the litter, and to get them used to eating chick food. The newspaper will be removed by the morning however to prevent the chicks from developing a condition known as ‘splay-leg’.
Our new chicks are five different breeds. Delaware, Buff Orpington, Partridge Plymouth Rock, Golden Laced Wyandotte and Black Australorps. For today we’re keeping a watchful eye on them, and just letting them get settled in, but in the next couple of days we promise to take some close-up photographs of each breed, and post an update along with a brief description of each of the breeds we’ve chosen.
In the meantime, with 27 little peeping chicks in my office, I have to try and actually get something productive done today! Maybe…
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We realize it is Easter week this week, but we’d like to remind everyone that Curbstone Valley Farm does NOT advocate purchasing chicks for Easter as gifts. Many such animals are abandoned each year at local animal shelters soon after the holidays. Chickens, especially baby chicks, require specialized care and attention far beyond the realm of the holiday week, and should never be acquired impulsively. Please carefully consider whether or not you and your family can devote the time and resources necessary to raising and caring for chickens before purchasing chicks from your local feed stores.
Oh man, they are CUTE! And TG, no pink and blue ones (what an abomination that was)…
Oh my goodness – what sweet cuteness.
Looking forward to watching them grow up.
I can’t imagine a better thing to get in the mail! Looooved the videos! (my cat certainly perked up hearing them!) A great point about Easter chicks, too. I read an article saying that animal shelters are beginning to receive chickens from folks who realize they can’t care for them. I wonder if they adopt them out?
.-= Christine´s last blog ..SF Garden Show: Stuff in Bowls =-.
How exciting! Get something productive done? Surely not – it must be a day for playing with chicks instead 😀 I’m looking forward to watching them grow.
The idea of selling live chicks as an Easter gift does not seem to have taken off here as yet, I hope it never does as that sounds like a truly awful outcome.
.-= Heidi´s last blog ..It is a Garden Show, but is it International? =-.
I grew up on a farm, and having baby chicks was a yearly occurance (so was cracking open an egg, that… will I am sure you know what I am talking about)! They are so sweet, I miss having them so much, I wonder if Owen Sound has any restrictions at keeping chickens in the city? Must check out..
.-= Deborah at Kilbourne Grove´s last blog ..Happy Days Are Here Again! =-.
Oh they are just too cute! I had to play each video a couple of times so I could really see them. I can’t wait to see more pictures of them. I took my youngest to the feed store a couple of days ago to see the baby chicks. I wish they could stay tiny like that forever 🙂
.-= Catherine´s last blog ..Flyaway – A book review. =-.
I just got all sentimental about my chicks seeing your little ones. I can’t believe how much they change in a month.. enjoy the puff ball stage! I am excited you got some black australorp. Ours has the funniest personality and I can’t wait for her to be all grown up.
.-= Lauren Drury ´s last blog ..The cat came back. =-.
I cannot wait to see updates on your cute little chicks. My sister, Chicken Farmer, is having a lot of fun with her 6 week old chickens. I have fallen in love with the Buff Orpington breed.
.-= Noelle/azplantlady´s last blog ..A Vegetable Garden Interrupted….Again =-.
I’m envious of all of those cute baby chicks. I have room for only three hens, one of which is a Black Australorp. She is the only one with any personality. Our two Black Sex-linked hens are dumber than a sack of doorknobs and not at all interesting. They lay well though.
.-= Lou Murray’s Green World´s last blog ..Harvest Monday–April 5, 2010 =-.
Oh these are cute too!