My 50 Cornish Cross chicks arrived early this morning. I ordered them for mid April so that the weather would be warmer. Of course, we are right in the middle of an unseasonal cold spell. The poor little things were so chilled that all they could do was huddle in a big lumpy ball of chicks under the heat lamps, for about 2 hours. I didn't want to feed them until after they had water, so kept checking and checking, waiting for them to spread out. But finally, they drank and were fed and then back under the lamp. It's taken them 6 hours, but finally, after a long nap of exhaustion, they are wandering around their brooder and acting like normal perky chicks. I'll have to watch them extra carefully for any sign of shipping stress. 2 days in the mail, in the cold, can't be easy on them. I received 55 chicks in my 50 chick order. From Welp. They look really good. So uniform that they could have been run off on a xerox machine. Apparently, they are tough little rascals, to look so good after a hard journey.
Are chickcicles what you get when you hatch eggcicles? Glad your batch is doing good. I've been so frustrated with the weather!
I know your frustration! Our Freedom Ranger order was delayed a day - they were in transit the only two frost nights we've had since March! ARGH! They are doing fine and quite well, despite the ordeal - now 9 days old and growing like mad! So glad yours are apparently healthy! I did give ours one drop of Poly-vi-sol (w/o iron) infant vitamins each day for the first week they were with us. Not sure how the vitamins helped them...but after that awful ordeal, I figured it couldn't hurt! To give the vitamins to 26 chicks takes at least 30 minutes - but the last few days it went much quicker, as the chicks had figured out what we were doing and voluntarily opened their beaks to get their drop. Some seemed to really like it too! As our chicks are now bigger than my 10yo helper-son's hands, we've stopped giving it to them. The risk of injury to the chick is not worth the effort, as they're a bit of a challenge to try to hold! I'd prefer to give the vitamins another week, but again, not worth the risk of injury. Enjoy them while they're little - they don't stay that way long!
Are yours the cornish X or the "new breed" ? where it's equal amounts of dark and white meat? I'll have to call in the morning for the name they're giving them.......but it's something specific.
