The Chicks Have Arrived!

I'm not sure what breed this guy is. He is the most curious
of all of the chicks though!

Keegan's Gold Laced Cochin Pullet

Sleepy Babies, don't fall asleep in your food!
Buff Orphington, Cochin, Barred Rock

I believe that if happiness could come in a box, it would look like this! I get completely giddy when I get a box full of chirping fuzzy goodness! I also get super paranoid that something terrible will happen. I had hoped that I would receive my box on my day off, but of course they arrived the day after (on time). That meant that I had to drop my son off at school, run to the feed store to get chick starter, get to the post office to pick up the babies, speed home to get the littles into the brooder before they froze their fuzzy little butts off, and then had to leave and go to work. Of course I had thoughts of brooder lamp fires, over heated chicks, frozen chicks, and drowned chicks all day long. Aside from the one that didn't make the trip, I am happy to say that they all survived my going to work. It is since then that we have had issues. They all seem perfectly healthy, running around, eating, drinking, and then I will wake up to a couple dead. Not sure what the problem is... The temperature is fine and they are all moving around freely, rather than being all huddled under the light as if too cold, or spread around the edges of the brooder as if too hot. Note that in the pictures it looks like they have no room and are piled on top of each other, but they all like being in the same place at the same time. They run around, but then when they get sleepy they pile up together. They
actually have plenty of room, but I preferred to take
pictures of chicks rather than empty pine chips. :)

 I am calling Ideal today to report the losses, which include at this point:
- 1 Brown Leghorn pullet
- 1 Gold Laced Cochin pullet
- 1 New Hampshire
- 1 Silkie
- 3 All Heavy Male Assortment
      (2 rhode island reds, 1 buff orphington)

Ramona, one of my Easter Eggers

I have waited the full 4 days just to make sure that there are no more losses. I really hate losing babies. Sometimes they just can't handle the trip though, and there is nothing that can be done. I hope they are all good now!
I have been keeping them inside in a ferret cage because it has been quite cold and wet outside the last few days. It seems to be much warmer and is definitely drier today so one of my projects needs to be to pull the brooder tractor out to the sun, clean it out, and let it dry. I have a lot of projects in queue for today, including taking one of my foster littles (noodles) up to the shelter, an hour away, so she can leave bright and early in the morning on the transport to find her very own forever home! Yay! So she gets a bath and the borrowed kennel has to be sterilized before it is sent back. I think it is probably strange that I feel the need to wash their dog before returning it so they don't think I let it get dirty or anything... Speaking of cleaning, I also need to clean once she is gone and I have 4 less feet running around the floor! Ha ha I'm hopeful that one less dog (I still have my two and another foster little getting over Pneumonia running around) will make it possible! I also have to do the soccer mom thing this evening until after dark, which I LOVE. I always bring a book to read, or things to study, and still end up spending the whole time watching Keegan practice.

So much to do! I have probably spent too much time sitting still. I really want to have a super productive day off! Hope you all have a beautiful day and feel free to leave a comment! I'd love some feed back.

I'm not sure what breed this baby is either, but he is beautiful!
He is brown and a gorgeous blue color. Behind him is my
brown leghorn pullet. 

One of my Blue Silkies. They are so little! This baby is sitting on my pinky
finger, and I have very small fingers as it is. 

I think this is one of Keegan's Silver Spangled Hamburgs. Fast little buggers!
It took a while to get a picture of it where it looked like more than a blur.

I just love my baby blue silkies!