Well, it's official. We have our first flock. I ordered 5 Australorp and 5 Buff Orpingtons from Ideal Poultry. They shipped a day earlier than scheduled and were at my post office for pick up the morning of the second day after that. I anticipated the inclusion of "males for warmth" but had no idea what kind or how many. I was surprised to discover that 5 cockerels had been included. I expected maybe one or two, but five? I'm not complaining; even at 2 days old, those little guys are already pretty rowdy and are a blast to watch. I'm not sure what breed they are. 4 of them look like they are covered in rabbit fur, brown/grey/black. The 5th is mostly yellow, except for a dark brown stripe right down the middle of his back, kind of like a reverse skunk. I live in town, so I won't be keeping any roosters long term. By the time they're old enough to start crowing, it'll be the right time of year for soups and stews, so I'm not too worried about figuring out what to do with them.
All 15 birds were in great shape right out of the box. All are healthy and energetic. It took no time at all for them to make themselves at home. We had a bit of a busy day today so I didn't get to it, but I'll post some pictures in the morning.
All 15 birds were in great shape right out of the box. All are healthy and energetic. It took no time at all for them to make themselves at home. We had a bit of a busy day today so I didn't get to it, but I'll post some pictures in the morning.
