We were expecting our chick order on Monday which was going to make for a very rushed day. The post office calls me early in the morning, I run to our small local post office and then spend an hour or so getting everyone settled in. It can be time consuming as each little beak must be dipped into its first drink of water and we had ordered 112 chicks. I have a morning appointment and sweet husband has a meeting so there would have been little time to spare.
As I was reading the Sunday paper my cell phone rang. I did not recognize the number. I was surprised when it was someone calling from the post office's main distribution center over in Greenville. He told me the chicks were in and that I could pick them up today or wait for them to be sent out to our local branch tomorrow. Of course, we agreed to go into Greenville to pick up the birds. Within the hour we had our chicks and were busily preparing to start them on their life here.
We use empty watering troughs for brooders so we cleaned out the troughs, hung the heat lamps, lined the troughs with paper towel and added waterers and feeders. As we carried the crates of chickens back to the stable the geese noticed us and were intrigued by the chirping boxes. We put down the boxes to see what the geese would do. They were interested but also a little nervous. They looked and hissed but never got any closer than this.
We carried the chicks on and carefully unpacked them. Each little one needs its beak dipped in water for its first drink. We also count as we unload the boxes and discovered we had one spare pullet.
It took a while but we got all of them settled in. They will grow rapidly and we will add another trough when they need more room. Before long they will be ready to put outside in a pen until they are old enough to join the rest of the hens who range wherever they want around the farm.
