Farm Journal: Bebbies!

More babies! We received twenty charming and lively baby chicks today. These little fluffballs represent another branch of the Laird’s Corner Farm business and homestead: eggs (mostly) and meat (ish). We will definitely sell eggs, but the meat will probably mostly be for family consumption.  

There are supposed to be five each of four breeds, but I have by doubts about one of the breeds, since five of the babies don’t match the description of any of the breeds we ordered. Half of the chicks are random assortments of colors and patterns, some with beards and/or muffs; these are the Americanas and the Starlight Green Eggers (from Hoover’s Hatchery). Five are black and white with lightly feathered legs; these are Midnight Majesty Marans (AKA Mystic Marans), a hybrid that lays the Marans’ famous deep brown egg. The fourth breed was supposed to be our starter population of the gigantic Bielefelders, which we were planning to allow to breed as a self-sustaining flock of all-purpose egg and meat birds. However, those tall, chipmunk striped, heavily feather-legged babies look an awful lot like the pictures of Dark Brahma chicks, instead. There’s nothing wrong with Dark Brahmas, per se… but I paid for the more expensive and hard-to-find Bielefelders and had a breeding program in mind, so I’m prepared to be disappointed.

To be honest, though, it’s hard to be disappointed in these cuties:

We set them up on the porch in a kiddie pool with a piece of deer fencing fastened over the top, just in case the cats get out and investigate. It also prevents the dog from booping the babies when she goes to check on them, a job that she has already added to her chore roster. (She’s the best. So hardworking!) We’re using cross-cut shredded paper/cardboard for bedding, and for heat we have a Rent-a-Coop brand brooder plate (borrowed from my mom) plus a seedling heat mat under the kiddie pool.

I draped a yoga mat over the warm part of the enclosure for added warmth and a safe, dark spot to go when they feel the need. The chicks will stay in the kiddie pool until they have enough feathers to be okay outdoors—at least a few weeks. By then, I plan to have a chicken tractor built for them and/or the rest of the hoop coop enclosed and outfitted.