Thursday, April 23, 2015

Jeepers Peepers!

by Pa Rock
Farmer

The new baby chicks arrived at Rock's Roost this past Tuesday and the place is rockin'!  It's quite a "peep" show!

I had placed an order for ten Rhode Island Reds (straight run of mixed cockerels and pullets) to add a bit of vitality to my remaining Rhode Island Reds from last year's order.  They are my egg producers.  I also ordered five bronze-breasted turkeys (straight run of baby hens and Toms) to replace the beautiful turkeys that I lost to predators last year, and seven banty chicks to keep my lone banty hen company.  The order was rounded out with seven Red Jungle Fowl, a novelty item that sounded like they might be fun and educational to try and raise.

The Red Jungle Fowl did not arrive with the order, and they may or may not follow along at a later date, but everything else is here and doing just fine.

I have a small "nursery" attached to the coop that is compact and easy to warm with a couple of flood lights.  The new babies are living there temporarily in two kiddie pools lined with wood chips.  The bantys are in one and the remaining chicks are in the other.  I put the banty hen in the warm enclosure hoping she would adopt the little bantys, and she seems to like her new quarters - but has not kicked into the motherhood mode yet.  She struts around supervising both containers of babies, but is reluctant to take them under-wing and get too attached.

The chicks, on the other hand, seem to have triggered Rosie's mothering instincts.  Anytime the door to the nursery is opened, she rushes in to check on the little ones.  Rosie is transfixed by the little fuzz balls and can stand and watch them for long periods of time without ever trying to get into the kiddie pools or posing any type of threat to our new arrivals.

Granddaughter Olive will be here this weekend to see the baby chicks, and Pa Rock will have a great time showing them to her!

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