Yesterday I found the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore and it was ONLY five miles from my favorite feed store.... where I KNEW they had chicks. The car just turned THAT way instead of towards home.
OMG OMG OMG. First, let me say I did NOT come home with anything at all. I had a wonderful time identifying chicks I WOULD have purchased had my brooder been set up at home already. I prefer to choose the chicks about a week old - or even two- already, because I KNOW they'll make it. The feed store had only had chicks for a week and 3 days, with two deliveries (one each Thursday). I want to replace a RIR, and there were two left from the first delivery, so they were 10 days old. I wanted them BAD. No older BR, though, and NO Welsummers. They sold out the first day.
And then there were the ducklings. *melting* There were even some Rouens, which is the breed I'd like to have, if I succumbed to ducklings. I have two backyard goldfish ponds which they'd love.... but there's my chicken-killing dachshund. *sigh* I'm sure he'd do the same with young ducks once they were outside.
The employees were very helpful, and the one young man who went from bin to bin with me totally understood why I wanted older chicks. He warned me about the difference between watering chicks and ducklings, so I was able use some sensible information to resist that particular urge, too.
But I'm gonna call 'em every Thursday to see if there are Welsummers back in. If so, I'll probably go nuts in there. I wanted to fill my pockets with babies.
Today I drove 22 miles to a
TSC I've discovered, just to buy Layena, oyster shell and a stall mat (for the new coop I'm building). That particular TC won't get chicks until late March. Whew!