It is that time of year. Things are warming up, the snow is (slowly) melting off, and chicks are abundant. Having been without chickens since June of 2016 we (my mom, younger sibling, and I) have been eager to once again hear the pleasant sound of chickens clucking, hens gossiping, roosters crowing, and sleepy birds singing before bed.
The plan started in September of 2016. We put in an order for 25 chicks from a hatchery, setting the ship date for mid-March. The 25 was split into three breeds, each one of our breeds of choice. Ten Dutch bantams for mom, ten cochins for my sibling, and five polish bantams for me. As March drew closer we began making preparations. The garage was entirely emptied out, cleaned, and set up with a brooder for the hatchlings, and a large pen for juveniles. It was two days before the arrival. We were all anxious with excitement. We were expecting a phone call letting us know that all chicks had hatched and would be arriving soon. The phone rang...and it was not the call we were expecting. The woman on the phone refused to tell my mom which of the breeds was the problem, but apparently our chicks would not be ready until the end of April. We were all rather disheartened by this, but we had waited this long already.
It wasn't long before the local feed store got their order of chicks in. Naturally it was only a matter of time before we somehow ended up driving home with some chicks in tow. Those chicks turned out to be 11 silkies, which have all been enthusiastically claimed by my little sibling (the cochin/silkie/brahma lover). Of course we really do not have the room for 36 chicks (25 from the hatchery and the 11 silkies). Mom decided to call the hatchery and cancel our order, since it would still be many weeks until the eggs would even hatch. While waiting for our hefty deposit to be refunded the longing gnawed away at my mom and I. While we both absolutely love our little silkie flock, neither of us are super-fans of silkies. I was not exactly surprised when, while my mom and sibling went to a dentist appointment, I received a text with a picture of six little bantams. So now mom had her little mystery batch of clean leg bantams (we're thinking 3 sebrights and 3 EE). This just left me feeling forlorn.
Mom started looking into some ideas and stumbled upon a reasonably priced second-hand incubator. We found a breeder selling fertile standard Polish eggs, and purchased a dozen. I set up the incubator as carefully as imaginable. I had three thermometers in it, an accurate hygrometer, an auto egg turner, and a tubing system set up so that I wouldn't have to open the incubator to add more water for humidity. I let it set for about a week and it stayed constant at 100°F and 48% humidity. The eggs finally arrived and I unwrapped each with loving hands. They set for twenty four hours, I candled each, and placed them in the incubator. The temperature and humidity remained stable, and I was a happy camper. Twenty-four hours went by without a hitch. Alas, forty-eight hours did not. I woke up another morning later and went to check on the incubator. It was off.
I panicked and struggled to figure out what to do. My outlet had, for reasons unknown, simply stopped working. I grabbed an extension cord and quickly got the incubator running again. The temperature slowly climbed and I started to relax. There was a problem, though. The temperature would not go over 84°F, no matter what I did. As far as we can tell the outlet dying caused the incubator to short out, rendering it pretty much useless, and my eggs undeveloped.
I was heart-broken. Oh, how I longed for just a small handful of sweet little chickens to call my own, which would travel with me when I move out and keep a smile on my face. Another decent incubator could not be afforded, and I simply had no interest in the birds remaining at the local tractor supply. What was a chickenless man to do?
Finally the refund came through from the 25 hatchery chicks. It took about three weeks, because the woman apparently forgot to put it through. My mom decided to use a small part of the refund to let me purchase some chicks from a hatchery. I found a hatchery with a minimum order of 3 for standard sized birds, and, better yet, they happen to carry my very favorite breed for a reasonable price, plus with the ability to choose the sexes of the birds. Delighted, I put in an order for 3 black Sumatras; one cockerel, and two pullets.
So now, at last, I can begin preparing the set up in my room for chicks.
With luck I will receive a call next Monday informing me that the hatch went well, and by Tuesday or Wednesday I will be the very proud owner of three sweet little sumatras. At this point we have figured out what happened to the outlet (faulty wiring from 20 years ago finally rearing its ugly head), the silkies are coming up on 3 weeks old, the bitty-bantams (we call them since the silkies are also bantams, haha) are coming up on 2 weeks old. I have some pictures of these 17 nuggets to share with you all shortly.
Hence now being active again here on BYC! I cannot wait to share the journey of their growth with you all
The plan started in September of 2016. We put in an order for 25 chicks from a hatchery, setting the ship date for mid-March. The 25 was split into three breeds, each one of our breeds of choice. Ten Dutch bantams for mom, ten cochins for my sibling, and five polish bantams for me. As March drew closer we began making preparations. The garage was entirely emptied out, cleaned, and set up with a brooder for the hatchlings, and a large pen for juveniles. It was two days before the arrival. We were all anxious with excitement. We were expecting a phone call letting us know that all chicks had hatched and would be arriving soon. The phone rang...and it was not the call we were expecting. The woman on the phone refused to tell my mom which of the breeds was the problem, but apparently our chicks would not be ready until the end of April. We were all rather disheartened by this, but we had waited this long already.
It wasn't long before the local feed store got their order of chicks in. Naturally it was only a matter of time before we somehow ended up driving home with some chicks in tow. Those chicks turned out to be 11 silkies, which have all been enthusiastically claimed by my little sibling (the cochin/silkie/brahma lover). Of course we really do not have the room for 36 chicks (25 from the hatchery and the 11 silkies). Mom decided to call the hatchery and cancel our order, since it would still be many weeks until the eggs would even hatch. While waiting for our hefty deposit to be refunded the longing gnawed away at my mom and I. While we both absolutely love our little silkie flock, neither of us are super-fans of silkies. I was not exactly surprised when, while my mom and sibling went to a dentist appointment, I received a text with a picture of six little bantams. So now mom had her little mystery batch of clean leg bantams (we're thinking 3 sebrights and 3 EE). This just left me feeling forlorn.
Mom started looking into some ideas and stumbled upon a reasonably priced second-hand incubator. We found a breeder selling fertile standard Polish eggs, and purchased a dozen. I set up the incubator as carefully as imaginable. I had three thermometers in it, an accurate hygrometer, an auto egg turner, and a tubing system set up so that I wouldn't have to open the incubator to add more water for humidity. I let it set for about a week and it stayed constant at 100°F and 48% humidity. The eggs finally arrived and I unwrapped each with loving hands. They set for twenty four hours, I candled each, and placed them in the incubator. The temperature and humidity remained stable, and I was a happy camper. Twenty-four hours went by without a hitch. Alas, forty-eight hours did not. I woke up another morning later and went to check on the incubator. It was off.
I panicked and struggled to figure out what to do. My outlet had, for reasons unknown, simply stopped working. I grabbed an extension cord and quickly got the incubator running again. The temperature slowly climbed and I started to relax. There was a problem, though. The temperature would not go over 84°F, no matter what I did. As far as we can tell the outlet dying caused the incubator to short out, rendering it pretty much useless, and my eggs undeveloped.
I was heart-broken. Oh, how I longed for just a small handful of sweet little chickens to call my own, which would travel with me when I move out and keep a smile on my face. Another decent incubator could not be afforded, and I simply had no interest in the birds remaining at the local tractor supply. What was a chickenless man to do?
Finally the refund came through from the 25 hatchery chicks. It took about three weeks, because the woman apparently forgot to put it through. My mom decided to use a small part of the refund to let me purchase some chicks from a hatchery. I found a hatchery with a minimum order of 3 for standard sized birds, and, better yet, they happen to carry my very favorite breed for a reasonable price, plus with the ability to choose the sexes of the birds. Delighted, I put in an order for 3 black Sumatras; one cockerel, and two pullets.
So now, at last, I can begin preparing the set up in my room for chicks.
With luck I will receive a call next Monday informing me that the hatch went well, and by Tuesday or Wednesday I will be the very proud owner of three sweet little sumatras. At this point we have figured out what happened to the outlet (faulty wiring from 20 years ago finally rearing its ugly head), the silkies are coming up on 3 weeks old, the bitty-bantams (we call them since the silkies are also bantams, haha) are coming up on 2 weeks old. I have some pictures of these 17 nuggets to share with you all shortly.
Hence now being active again here on BYC! I cannot wait to share the journey of their growth with you all
