Ideal sending chicks early! Yipee! in other words:what was I thinking?

[clkingtx]

The pen is a plastic play yard we bought for our daughter when she was crawling. She didn't like her playpen, since it was so small, but this thing gave her our entire living room to play in, and as she grew, we just blocked off the dangerous stuff where she couldn't reach it. She is past that now, so it is going to be used for animals from now on. I am glad to be getting such extended use from this, though.

The chickies are here!

I ordered all straight run varieties from Ideal Poultry.
I ordered 50 standard, I got 54 - 1 trampled, doa
25 bantams, I got 29, three really stressed, two of which recovered really quickly, third I think is ok
25 ducks, I got 26- all doing good.

They have been here for a couple of hours, I limited the water to the ducks to start out with, so they wouldn't waterlog, but they seem to be doin ok. Some babies ate some of the bedding, hopefully it won't hurt them. I don't think I really understood how many 100 babies are, lol. It seems like the space I have now will be expanded soon, probably so I can split the standard chicks up into two groups. I am checking on them frequently, to go out and sprinkle more food, check the water levels, etc. They seem to be very happy. It is very warm under the lamps, and the chicks are spread out well in their brooders.

I will add pics in just a few minutes.

Carrie

 

[Kittymomma]

Can't wait for the pictures! Sorry to hear about the trampled baby. I know that is why they send extra, but it always seems so sad.

I had to laugh while I was reading your explanation about the playpen. I have the exact same one, bought for the same reason and have been using it for foster kittens and puppies as well as our own chickens, rabbits, etc. since my son outgrew it eight years ago. I'm sure it is the most long-lasting $50 worth of baby equipment I ever bought.

 

[clkingtx]

Kittymomma- I know, those things are great. To think I was really questioning whether we should get the extension kit for it! That was one of the two most great "baby" items we have, the second being the video monitor we got as a baby shower gift!

Ok, here are the pics:

I am already so loving our little babies! Yeah, it is sad about the little squished one. It did help that it must have happened shortly after they were boxed, so there was nothing I could have done. I am amazed at the little bantams, there were two that I thought were goners(they were on the bottom, in corners of the box), so I just layed them under a light in an empty pen, one was so bad its eyes were closed, it was curled up in the fetal position, etc. I kept dipping their beaks, and left them alone under their lights while I unpacked and placed the other chicks, and when I started separating, and put another few chicks in there, they had already perked way up. Now I can't even tell which ones they are!

Well, hope you all like the pics!

Carrie

 

[adorable]

ahhhhhhhh. I can hardly wait. I am happy to hear that you save the two banties. To bad about the other one. They all look good. I am getting that itch.

 

[Farmer Benjii]

ohhhhhhhhhh they r so pretty

love em

 

[JenEric Farms]

Those little chicks are so darn cute!!! Congratulations!

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I always get my babies from McMurray hatchery. last year a neighbor told me she would incubate my chicks if I gave her the eggs.and the deal was she would keep half of them. I gave her 3 dozen eggs..and when I got mine they were adorable but I have out of 36...12 roosters. This year i am ordering from mcmurray again. After seeing those pics. I might order early myself now and brood them in the basement until the temps. warm up some.

 

[G Wiz Ranch]

I too have an order from Ideal. They shipped Wednesday, due Friday 1/8/10. I ordered the hatchery special of 25 banties (straight run) and 50 standards (pullets, "Sunrise Special"). It going to be the guessing game for the next 12 weeks. Oh what joy.

When I placed the order thay said they may not have enough Bantams, and wanted to know if I still wanted them, I told them to send what they have and fill the order with standards. They called on Wednesday to tell me that they filled the order with the 25 bantams. I guess they had enough.

 

[clkingtx]

Gwhizranch- you probably already know this, but if you have any babies that are questionable, seem chilled, weak, dying, etc; get them in a really warm place right away and dip their beaks in water, and give them a little bit of time. Mine really surprised me! Hope yours turn out as great as mine, and do really well for you! I also seemed to have quite a variety of breeds. Don't forget to post pictures when you get yours, I am not sure what the sunrise special is, but the guessing game is going to be fun!

Carrie

ETA- I bet you meant surprise special- that's what I got, and I am thrilled with them. I got 50 too, but straight run.

 

[G Wiz Ranch]

Quote:
Your right, "Surprise Special". I love Ideal, this makes our 500-550th chicks (not counting the xtras) that we have ordered from them. My wife wanted to do another order of 100 but I was running out of brooder space when we ordered since we have been hatching our own (black sex links) every 21 days since May. We just bought a used stacked brooder (GQF 5 cages tall) that I fired up yesterday for the first time. I should have listened to her. We are going to order another 100 of the "surprise" next week and then I am going to order 100-200 in March when most of the other breeds are available and I can pick what I want. We sell A LOT of chicks and then try and keep some to sell them later as pullets. When I order the normal combo of BR's BO's RIR's and EE's, I can usually get them shipped for less than $1.50 a chick, if I sell 1/2 of them at $3.00 then the other 1/2 is free to me. This is how I get this "hobby" to pay for itself. Yeah right! That's just what I have been telling myself, although, we have been getting 5-6 dozen eggs a day now, and we sell them at the Farmers Market on Fridays for $3.50/doz.

We have the "new arrival" process down pretty good. Ideal is great, we have lost very few prior to taking delivery (never more than the xtras) and maybe 1 or 2 after getting them home. The first 24 hours after getting them is crucial. My PO calls me at 4am-5am to let me know that they arrived, so I have spent many early am hours dipping beaks and counting. LOL.