New baby chicks!

With a little push from my sister Lisa, I'm officially dipping my toe into the blogosphere, and I'm taking the little toes of six baby chicks along with me!

The yellow ones hogging the spotlight are Buff Orpingtons, and the shy ones in back are Rhode Island Reds. None of them were at all pleased with the camera I stuck into the brooder.

We picked them up yesterday from the feed store and installed them into our brooder, which is made from the bottom of the crate we used to house-train our border collie. They've got wood pellets to stand and poop on (lots of standing and pooping happening), a little metal feeder with baby chick food, and a tiny dish of water.
On top of the brooder we've set up some hardware cloth, and over that the heat lamp. There's a thermometer inside the brooder. We try to keep the temp around 95 for the chicks. They've got a bright light on them 24 hours a day, and only blank beige walls to look at - seems like it'd drive them out of their tiny bird brains, but evidently their brains are so very tiny that it doesn't bother them. So this will be their home for the next six weeks, until they've got enough feathers and yard-smarts to move into their own coop outside.

We also have a really good two-year-old helper who loves to be involved in everything we do. Right now he is very interested in what the chicks are doing and imitates the little peeping sound they make. He has fed adult chickens at a friend's farm, so he's got some experience under his elasticized waistband. I think he is going to enjoy our little flock.

So far the chicks haven't been named. We're actually chick-sitting two extra babies until Easter for another friend, so there are almost too many to keep track of. I imagine that in a little while we will be able to pick out individuals and get some sense of personality, and maybe we will get to naming them. Dave thinks we might eat these birds someday and is discouraging names. I'm doubtful that we will have the heart or stomach to do that, but if we do, I really have no more problem eating Doris the hen than I do hen #4 or whatever. Naming is fun, so I will at least name them here so we can keep them straight. Sound good?

The other thing we have to do is get the backyard ready for the birds. We have no coop yet, and we have to protect our garden from marauding beaks. Dave is going to build a Place for Poultry with the help of a friend who has lots of experience through Habitat for Humanity...ahem...We've got some new raised beds and just put up a protective cover. We not only have to protect from chickens, but also two dogs, various neighborhood cats, and the aforementioned helper two-year-old, who isn't quite sure of the difference between a weed and a veggie yet. In the winter we'll put plastic over the cover and have a little greenhouse!

Back to the chicks: Right now there's not too much going on in the brooder, just some peep-peeping and running around wildly when the Big Hand comes in to scoop someone up or do a bit of maintenance. I will post more soon!