The chicks arrived on Thursday March 27. To be honest this time again has just been pretty frustrating and a bit heartbreaking. There were 6 dead in the box, and as the birds stretched their legs, found the water and food it became obvious that there were several more failing birds. Over the next several days we lost 11 chicks. I called the hatchery and they seemed surprised. But refunded me for the initial 8 birds that we lost. When bird #12 started failing on day 8 I was at my wits end. I called McMurray Hatchery again and told the person answering that someone had to take the time to talk with me about what is happening to the little flock.

That person, I’m sorry I can’t remember her name, did stay on the phone with me. As she questioned me thoroughly about everything from picking the birds up to this call, she came to a likely reason so many birds died. The box of birds must have been left in a place where they got too cold. Whether it was a loading dock, or left on a truck, that is the probable reason so many of this flock just didn’t make it.

Now, 11 days out, the remaining birds are thriving. As a matter of fact, Friday afternoon we had to put some chicken wire around the brooder as a couple of chicks managed to hop/flap their way out into the room. This morning they had the zoomies and were running/flying across the brooder. I took the 2nd heat plate out to give them more space. Our nights are still pretty darn cold, so I’m hesitant to move them to the coop yet.

That said, the birds days in the house are numbered. A couple of them are very interested in flying, and they have been stirring up a whole lot of dust in all their scratching and flitting from place to place!