they're here!!

The call came this morning at around 6:15.  The post office had our chicks!  We set everything up for them last night, testing the temperature to make sure that the heat lamp was at the proper height.  We'd been reviewing all the chick info in our book and in the brochure from the hatchery to make sure we knew what to do (like covering their bedding with newspaper for the first day so they won't eat the pine shavings).  I set my alarm for early (though I'm usually up anyway) so I'd be ready to dash out the door when the post office phoned between six and six-thirty.  As we were leaving, I walked to my car thinking that I would drive, but my mom wondered if the box of chicks would fit in my car.  My car is a little hatchback, but I've fit a lot in there over the years.  But just in case, she drove her SUV.  When I saw the peeping box at the post office I had to laugh.  It was tiny.  But with Mom driving I got to have the babies on my lap.  When we walked in the door with a cheeping box, Dovey was very interested.

Our brooder (a galvanized water trough) is set up in the basement.  We brought the box down there and took the chicks out one by one so we could teach them how to drink before letting them have free reign of their new home.  You have to dip their beaks in the water or else they might not figure it out on their own.  Oh the praise we gave them when they then took their own drinks!  We should have counted the babies then, but we were too excited.  We still don't know if we have an accurate count.  We ordered 25 hens and one rooster.  The hatchery throws in a free "exotic" surprise chick just for fun and for extra warmth they'll add more males free of charge if necessary.  We have at least one extra, but there might be 2.  It's so hard to count them!

We chose five different breeds: Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Black Australorps, Barred Rocks and an Araucana/Americana cross (for blue and green eggs!).  The rooster we ordered is a Rhode Island Red.  The odd little exotic chick looks like it might be a Silver Polish, but we're not really sure.  It will be so much fun to watch them grow up and develop (and figure out names for them!), but right now I'm enjoying their super cuteness.  What is sweeter than a tiny baby chick?  I just want to hold them and stroke their soft down.  And photograph them, of course.

Though my photos of them will all be red-tinged with our heat lamp going.  Gives them a bit of a sci-fi feeling, don't you think?