We ordered six hens and one rooster from the hatchery, but they sent us a bonus rooster. Hatcheries often send extra chicks in case some die in transit (which wouldn't be surprising since they're piled into a cardboard box and mailed through the post office almost as soon as they hatch), but all ours arrived alive and apparently healthy.
The chicks are three different breeds, which we picked out because they're good foragers (will find and eat lots of bugs), good egg layers, and relatively friendly, as far as chickens go. One of the breeds also happens to be a good meat bird, but we have no intention of eating any of them. We just want their delicious fresh eggs, which they should start laying in September or October.
The four black chicks are Australorps, and two of them are the boys. Roosters aren't necessary if you just want to eat eggs and not hatch any, but they protect the hens by watching out for hawks and other mean critters, sounding the alarm so the hens run for cover, and fighting off predators if necessary. Since we have two, they'll fight each other when they're mature to decide who gets to be harem boss. The winner will be the papa of any eggs we decide to let hatch to increase the flock. The loser will live on the fringes of chicken society, which is a bit sad. Maybe we'll sell him.
I like the classic yellow chicks best, even if this one was trying her best to fly away from me already. Two of them are Buff Orpingtons, and the other two are Buff Minorcas. They're nearly indistinguishable now but will look different when full grown. (The red spots on some of their heads are just the temporary marks the hatchery put on them to help identify the breeds.)
The chicks don't need much attention for the first month or so. For now they live in the garage in this bin that's set up with food, water, and a heat lamp, and so far they seem very content to spend all their time pecking at their reflections in the plastic and sleeping in a pile. And peeping. The peeping is so adorable. Of all the projects we've gotten into so far, this one is definitely the most fun.
Since you'll have them around for a while, are you naming them? They are just the cutest little puffballs.
ReplyDeleteYes, they'll definitely get names! But we'll wait until their adult feathers come in so that we can identify them individually. Right now we can't even tell which ones are male.
DeleteAwww, they're so sweet! I feel bad already for the loser rooster. Maybe you can build a second hen house away from the first and he can have his own colony of rebel chicks.
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