Baby Chicks Are Coming - Let the Fluffball Fest Begin!

 

I'm excited to announce the arrival of our new bundles of joy - baby chicks! With their tiny peeps and fuzzy little bodies, they bring so much happiness.  I'm counting down the days until the end of the month, when our next batch of chicks arrives, and I already know I won’t be able to stop myself from scooping up those baby fluffballs the second they arrive.  Spring has definitely sprung!

 

This will be our second time raising chicks.  Our first chick adventure was five years ago when we ordered a Dual Purpose Mix Package. It turned out to be the perfect choice for our setup and needs. We welcomed some sturdy Red Rock Cross hens and a few Rhode Island Reds, and they’ve truly been excellent birds - reliable layers, hardy in our unpredictable Alberta weather, and with the kind of personalities that make you laugh out loud most days.

 

We’ve learned a lot since then - like how to build a sturdy coop that thwarts predators, how to keep eggs warm enough in the middle of -40C winters so they don't freeze, and that chickens absolutely love people. It’s been a lot of learning.

 

When we decided this morning to order chicks again, we decided to go with the Dual Purpose Mix Package again. We’re excited to see what kind of feathered friends we’ll end up with this time!

 

Dual-purpose chickens are excellent egg producers, but they also grow out to a nice size for meat, if needed.  We need birds that can thrive through the cold winter nights and hot summer days, who can forage in the yard but still come running when you call with the kitchen scraps. Dual-purpose breeds have fit the bill for us and I love that we don't know exactly what mix we’re getting - it adds a bit fun bit to the brooder box.

 

Over the next week, I'll be getting the brooder cleaned up and lined with bedding, checking heat lamps, and pulling out our chick-raising supplies. 

 

Here's to dirty hands,

Jody