I had a little help getting the brooder ready!
Meanwhile on the 4th in between getting ready for my drama class play I was getting the brooder ready and then the phone rang. It was the store from which we ordered the chicks, they came in early and we should head there to pick up our new chicks. Ahhhh, not ready, not the right day, can we even make it there today between other things needing to be done on this day. but...baby chicks... we changed plans, grabbed a box as we had been instructed and raced south to pick up the new babies.
Once the baby chicks were picked up they seemed a bit frantic in the box. baby chicks are not usually frantic (in my experience). In the rush I had forgotten that the bottom of the cardboard box would be slippery for them. I guess I thought the feed store would put some shavings in the box or something but they didn't. I solved this problem by putting my t-shirt in the box for them to walk on. I wear lots of layers in the winter so removing one was no great loss! The chicks were still somewhat frantic though and pecking each other more than I expected. One chick also pecked and held onto the toe of another chick! They seemed...hungry! One day old chicks, or even two day old chicks are not usually frantically hungry they're still absorbing the yolk from their egg. These chicks were very young, had shipped in one day instead of the usual two and all still had their egg tooth, confirming that they were very young. But still they seemed very hungry and unsettled! Since we had a bag of starter- grower crumbles at home I didn't purchase food with them so we had to make a stop for some food. Thankfully there are a lot of farm and feed stores on our route home, it's New Hampshire. haha. next stop we got a bag of starter food and gave them some. That certainly solved the problem. We also gave them a little bowl of water. They were more interested in the food though and ate most of the way home, which was a 45 minute drive. Finally they napped when we were almost home. I can only guess that they had a rough trip to the feed store. It can't be nice hatching from your warm egg then getting tossed into a box with many more chicks and sent through the U. S. mail.
NOT NICE the box is too slippery!
That's better a comfy shirt to rest and walk on but still fussy chicks!
They don't want water.
Food that is what they want and then they settled!
We settled the chicks into their brooder once home. Lots of eating and drinking and napping. They seemed content. The new chicks are a Buff Orpington, a Golden Comet, a White Leghorn, a Silver Laced Wyandotte and two Cuckoo Marans.
Learning where the food and water are.
Getting cozy under their electric hen brooder plate.
Once the chicks were eating and drinking well I added shavings under their sleeping area and just kept the paper towels for the food and water area.
All was going well until close to midnight. It was a very windy night so I was a little worried about the wind and a possible power outage but fell asleep anyway. Soon after I fell asleep we had a power outage! I was so worried about keeping them warm, these brand new baby chicks. This was the first time in 2 years that we were brooding by heat plate rather than momma hen. I had a few hand warmers in my chicken supplies for such a time as this so I wrapped those in a towel and placed near the brooder heat plate. I piled coats and blankets around the brooder cage, I also lit a kerosene heater but it's not one that gives out a great lot of heat. After about an hour some fussy cheeping began, I think the chicks were getting a bit cold and I didn't know what to do. I could put them next to me but what if I dozed and rolled on them or a cat got them, we do have curious cats. Even though it's spring here the weather is still very wintery, it's been much colder than usual and the house was well below 50 degrees at this time. I finally decided that my best option was to go out to the coop and grab an adult silkie to see if she would keep the babies warm in their brooder. I knew there were one or two silkies in semi broodiness. There are almost always one or two or more silkies in semi broodiness!
In the dark coop I selected my candidate, a black silkie who was sleeping in a nest box instead of on the roost, broody behavior. I kept everything as dark as I could, brought her into the house, placed her into the brooder cage and eased the baby chicks under her and near her. The silkie seemed a little confused but stayed put and kept those babies warm!
Silkie hen saves the day (night)!
By morning the power came back on, I stayed up just in case miss Silkie got annoyed with the chicks but she just sat until it started to get light out. THEN she got annoyed with them! She wasn't too bad though she knew they weren't hers. Chicks were placed back under their now warm again brooder plate, Miss Silkie was returned to to flock outdoors and all was well. Except the fact that I had no sleep and had a class play to direct in a couple hours. Yawn!
You are not my children!
Chicks warm, clean and happy.
Play set up, performed and taken down.
Tiny Silkie was the star of the play, she came along for the children to see and take pictures with.
I was so glad when April 5th was done. The power didn't go out again, the chicks were happy and healthy and although I didn't feel very well at all we made it through. Play done, chicks safe and sleep to come. I slept well and took it somewhat easy on the 6th, there was another snowstorm anyway so not much to do around the farm. Good thing I rested since the 7th held another adventure!
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