A few years ago when we first started looking into having a coop full of ladies making us breakfast on a daily basis, I was shocked to hear that you can order them via the net and have the friendly neighborhood mailman deliver them to your doorstop....amazing right?
Well we looked at all the different hatcheries through out this great country..there are quite a few out there, most offer just about the same selection with a few exceptions...most have a minimum purchase amount..meaning 25 chicks or more..jikes..I didn't want that many..then we found out about Ideal Poultry, right here in our own backyard..well a few hours away at least..
They have a minimum purchase dollar amount..so it worked out great..
The hatcheries here in the States hatch the eggs out one day, either sort them according to sex, meaning cockerel, a rooster that is less than a year old or pullet, a hen that is less than a year old...or they will keep them together and it is called a straight run..in other words you don't know whether you'll get pullets or cockerels.
The pullets are more expensive, more homesteaders want these little girls..they produce the eggs after all..the cockerels are the cheapest..not very many folks want cockadoodeling fellas running around their yard keeping neighbors and themselves up at all hours..the straight run is in between..but it is a gamble..will you get enough hens or will they all turn out being boys ???
As soon as the sorting is done they get put into the respective packages and are taken to the post office to make their 24 hour journey to their new home..Most hatcheries have a minimum purchasing amount mainly to keep the chicks warm while in transit..if you only want a few, odds are they will be dead upon arrival..thus the more the merrier.
Ideal Poultry lets you order less, but they will supply the warmth buy sending along "popcorn stuffers"...Popcorn stuffers you might ask..what the heck is that?
Well, all hatcheries have an abundance of left over cockerels..remember more folks want the egg laying machines not the noise makers..so the popcorn stuffers are just that..noise making little fellas they would "get rid of" anyway..
We finally got the call in early March of 2009..our little package of peepers were finally here..
We had ordered a variety of pullets and three ducks as well..and along for the ride came 12 little Rhode Island Red fellas..
Once home we opened the package and out popped peepers and squeakers galore..
Look how cute, I just love how tiny and cute they are....but they grow fast and the cuteness factor turns into gawky teenage looks rapidly.
We had a brooder box set up ready for them to move on in..it was large and toasty warm...
We separated the ducks from the chicks..as the ducks are way messier than the chicks and they thrive in water...chicks will get chilled and potentially die if wet and cold..so it was only natural to do..
At about the same time our own hen Little Miss Muffet was sitting on eggs out in the coop..they were due to hatch within days..of course we checked on the often and one day I noticed one of the eggs was squished, almost flat...so I retrieved it and brought it in and put it under Sofia's desk lamp in a shoebox..low and behold...Spring was born right there on our kitchen counter..he was very weak and we almost lost him but after 12 hours on the brink he finally came back strong and fought to stay alive..
He was scrawny and after we did some counting realized he was born/hatched prematurely by almost 5 days..but he was a fighter..His mommy was our Summer, thus the name Spring...he later on became Bruce Springsteen when we gave him to some friends of ours..
We still had two eggs in the egg boxes outside and Little Miss Muffet was doing her best to hatch them out..
Withing days one of these eggs got squished too and we moved it into the box on the counter..
Before the our eyes this little chick hatched out..it looked so painful and slow..we were all eager to help, but it was important that we let nature take its course..
She was named Flora at first after a Swedish butter..but after a few weeks we realized she was a boy..so his name was changed to Guld, which means gold in swedish.. He is still here with us today..and he is a stunning rooster..
The third egg never hatched..
The ducks grew much faster than the chicks so we actually took them out to explore the grass while they were still quite young..and they finally got their first outdoor bath..jippea..every ducks dream, right?
Note..the pool is an 8" (20cm) pie dish..
Meet Lilly, Tulip and Petunia..our three Fawn Runner Ducks...
Aren't they stunning little girls..I adored them so much..
Of course the chicks grew fast too..but they get chilled quick so they got to have their "outdoor" romp inside..on a big sheet in the kitchen..while pecking at oatmeal flakes..every chicks favorite snack..
These little girls are all Silverlaced Wyandottes.
...and that is how we got our chicks in the mail.....next time I'll write about how they grew up..
