Red Dirt Ramblings®

Firmly rooted in the Oklahoma soil

Peeps asleep

Bear holding a chick she named Alex because it works for a rooster or a hen
Bear holding a chick she named Alex because the name works for a rooster or a hen

Last week, baby chicks arrived in the mail.  The first time we ordered chickens, I was surprised at the process.  You place your order (which is a bit overwhelming because of all the choices) and then, not unlike bulbs, you select a shipping date.   At the hatchery, once your chicks are hatched, they are inoculated against disease (if you pay extra), but don’t worry, no needles are involved.  Then, your peeps are sent in a small box to your local post office.

They don’t need extra food for the journey because, by absorbing the yolk just before hatching, they have enough sustenance for 48 to 72 hours.  Isn’t that a marvelous design?  It’s why they can be shipped across the United States.

My post office always calls early.  Imagine 30 or 40 little peeps constantly chirping away, and you’ll understand why.  This time, it was at 5:57.  After a quick cup of tea, I drove to the Guthrie post office and rang the bell at the back door.  The postal worker handed me the tiny box with a grin.

A mixed flock of brown egg layers and Araucanas
A mixed flock of brown egg layers and Araucanas (which Martha Stewart made famous)

At home, we were prepared with a large box papered with the daily news, a gallon waterer and a feeder (obtained from the local feed store with our last batch of chicks).  I washed the feeder and waterer with a bleach solution to kill any bacteria from the previous chickens. I also purchased some vitamins and electrolytes from the hatchery to give the babies an extra boost.  Because the box was pretty large, I placed two lights in it to keep the babies warm.  The lights are adjustable so that the bulb can be moved up or down depending on how cold the chicks are.  If they are all bunched together and don’t feed or drink, they are too cold.  If they are moving away from the light and panting, they are too hot.

Bear and I opened the box and took the little peeps out one by one and dipped their beaks in the water.  Chicks don’t automatically know how to drink, so this was an essential step.  You can’t help but be inspired watching their little throats swallow their first sip.  They figure out how to eat the chick starter on their own.

We’re now one week into our chicken journey, and all is calm at the homestead.  Because we also have a new kitten, Bill built a small coop to keep the babies in the garage.  We closed all the windows in the garage to keep them warmer because our weather is starting to cool.  Normally, we purchased chicks in the spring, but then, we must wait all summer for eggs.  This time, we’re trying for spring eggs.

Up and moving around their cardboard home.
Up and moving around their cardboard home.

The babies already have tiny feathers on their wings and are starting to try to fly.  They will soon be able to fly until their bodies grow so large that they are mostly ground dwellers, although they can still fly short distances.  This isn’t true of bantams which can fly throughout their lives.  Also, some chickens will roost in trees, and we once found our favorite black hen on the electrical wire to the barn, but that’s a story for another time.

All is peaceful now, but it took some work to get there.  For more information on starting chicks, my favorite book is Chickens In Your Backyard: A Beginner’s Guide, although I also read Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens: Care / Feeding / Facilities. I thought the first book was the easiest to understand. The second was more technical.

This is our fourth flock of chickens. If you have room for one or two hens and your city allows the keeping of them, I would say go ahead and take the plunge. The eggs are the best you’ll ever taste, and caring for the little girls (and the occasional guy) helps bring us all back to our roots.

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Comments

  2. element321

    That is cool. I never knew you could order chickens and have them sent to you by mail. I have been interested in raising chickens, but our yard is to small. So we will have to wait till we get a bigger place. Good luck with your chickens.

  3. Jan (ThanksFor2Day)

    Hi Dee, I love your new blog design and colors. It looks very eye-appealing;-) The chicks are adorable. I love their different colors. I don’t recall ever tasting fresh eggs. I hope the chicks stay healthy through the winter!
    .-= Jan (ThanksFor2Day)´s last blog ..It’s Grown on Me =-.

  4. CurtissAnn

    Honey, I never forgot you mentioned to me long ago the book about Backyard Barnyard. I enjoy hearing about your chicken adventures! I’ve wanted to raise chickens for ever so long, maybe I will actually do it. Until then, I’ll live through your posts. 🙂

    Big hugs, dear friend,
    CurtissAnn
    .-= CurtissAnn´s last blog ..A Book — Best Friend This Side of Heaven =-.

  6. Janell West

    Well well. Raising chicks sounds like fun. And a lot of work?

    And even now, why am I all of a sudden thinking of that Jesus lament in the gospel of Luke:

    “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing.” 13:34 NRSV

    I enjoyed reading your chick gospel. And I’m a “me too” for loving your blog’s new do.

    Janell
    .-= Janell West´s last blog ..The Boy Who Cried Woof =-.

  7. Diana

    They are just too stinkin’ cute! I’m sure you’re having a ball with them. I love the idea of chicks and eggs. Chickens, not so much! But I get to watch yours and Robin’s and I think that’s the best of both worlds for me! Good luck with them.
    .-= Diana´s last blog ..Birds of a feather … =-.

    • Dee Nash

      Thanks Diana. They are a lot of fun to watch even when they’re hens, but I love that you’re chicken livin’ vicariously through me.~~Dee

  8. Susan Tomlinson

    I’ve wanted to keep two or three hens for years. But, what with dogs, and cats, and travel…seems overwhelming to think about right now.

    I know I could do it, with planning. I need to build a coop first, for their protection, and I could trade off chicken caring duty for when I go out of town (the family across the street have three hens), but I just can’t seem to get caught up to get started.

    It’s gonna happen, though. I’m determined!
    .-= Susan Tomlinson´s last blog ..The Wine Patio =-.

  9. Jean

    Such an interesting post. I had no idea what the beginnings of the chicks-at-home process was. I would love to have some but not only will my husband revolt, he doesn’t even care for eggs!

    I like your new design Dee. Also, I wanted to let you know that in your About Me section you say you contribute to Oklahoma Gardener but I also saw an article by you in the last year in our Louisiana Gardener magazine. So I guess you could say you are a contributor to State by State gardening magazines (I’ve also got an article in the works for them).

    Cheers, Jean
    .-= Jean´s last blog ..Picture This – Abundant Harvest =-.

  10. Lisa at Greenbow

    Wow Dee, I like the new look of your blog. I am enchanted with these little balls of fluff. I can’t wait to read all about your journey with the chicks. It is amazing how the little things can survive being shipped across country. I can’t have them here. Sigh~~ I will just have to enjoy them vicariously.

  12. Kathryn/plantwhateverbringsyoujoy.com

    Awwww. How utterly SWEET! How can one not love baby chicks? So adorable! How fun for you and hte children to be witnessing this new life and the changes that take place daily. And how wonderful to have fresh eggs to look forward to!

    LOVE the new look, btw. Very classy! Kathryn xoxoox

    • Dee Nash

      Well, I don’t know about some of them because I bought the brown egg layer collection, and I’ve never seen some of these. It’s hard to tell until they completely feather out. I also bought twelve Araucanas, so I know what those are. I’ll let you know on the others later.~~Dee

  17. Les

    The chicks are cute, but the new look on your blog is fantastic. It is one of the best layouts I have seen in a while. The masculine color palette is very easy to read. The photo of the bridge is very evocative.

  18. Carol, May Dreams Gardens

    I have serious “chicken-envy”. I am pretty sure I can’t have any here in the ‘burbs of the city where I live. I hope one day that changes. Until then, I’ll have to admire from afar and just imagine how good the eggs taste!

    P.S. I like the changes on your blog. The type color is easy to read on the black background and on the comments.
    .-= Carol, May Dreams Gardens´s last blog ..A Little Something on Fall Clean Up =-.

    • Dee Nash

      Oh, Tim, it’s just a theme from WordPress. That photo came with it, and I loved how it echoed the blog title. I used Theme Tweaker plugin to change the color of some of the fonts and the background. I suspect the theme’s originator photoshopped the dickens out of the header photo. Thanks so much.~~Dee