We received the replacements for the chicks that died in transit last week. They were in much better shape...only 1 fatality in the box.
Aren't they a cute collection. A couple of them have really fluffy faces.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
remodeling
If we keep working at it we may some day finish the upstairs mini-apartment. We recently rented a floor sander to prepare the floor...it takes too long to use one of the others. It was one heavy piece of machinery and I'm sure it would have been comical to watch these 3 old people manhandling it up the stairway.
Rick did a really good job of handling the machine once we got it up the stairs and the floors look really nice now. 
It was our intention to start putting the finishing coatings on the wood right away. Unfortunately, to do so requires that the windows be open to let the fumes from the polyurethane escape. Wouldn't you know it, that was the last warm day we've had since then.
Rick did a really good job of handling the machine once we got it up the stairs and the floors look really nice now. 
It was our intention to start putting the finishing coatings on the wood right away. Unfortunately, to do so requires that the windows be open to let the fumes from the polyurethane escape. Wouldn't you know it, that was the last warm day we've had since then.Saturday, February 13, 2010
Baby Chicks
Shipment of our order of baby chicks was delayed a week. Perhaps it should have been delayed a bit longer. The poor creatures had a very difficult trip. I'm not sure who abused them...the airlines or the post office.
They were scheduled to arrive at the St Francis Post Office early Friday morning. I got a call that morning saying the truck from Kansas City-yes, Kansas City even though the chicks originated in Texas-didn't arrive in Colby until after the truck from Colby to St Francis had departed. Several telephone calls later it had been arranged that the little ones would be delivered directly to Prairie House by the Postmaster from Colby.
It was a pretty sad sight when I opened their box. There was chirping coming from the box when it arrived, so I was hopeful their stressful trip hadn't taken too large a toll. I was wrong. A third of them were already dead and several more nearly so. I fired up the incubator and put the nearly dead and struggling to survive chicks in the incubator. From previous experiences we have found that sometimes just warming their little bodies back up for them will revive them. Of the 7 attempted resuscitations, five survived. One of those later succumbed, however.
On the bright side, eleven of them were fighters and they are looking pretty healthy and happy now, as you can see:
The hatchery will try again next week and send another shipment. Keep your fingers crossed their travels will be less eventful and they will arrive on time and in good shape. We ordered the hatchery's "Surprise Special" which is basically
comprised of the leftover chicks which weren't purchased as specific breed orders. It is fun to receive those orders because it is always an interesting group of chicks. We aren't sure which breed the majority of these are...but they are obviously hardy chicks. We have narrowed the selection down to 3 or 4 breeds which have chicks with these markings when they are little.
I'll send more pictures as they grow.
They were scheduled to arrive at the St Francis Post Office early Friday morning. I got a call that morning saying the truck from Kansas City-yes, Kansas City even though the chicks originated in Texas-didn't arrive in Colby until after the truck from Colby to St Francis had departed. Several telephone calls later it had been arranged that the little ones would be delivered directly to Prairie House by the Postmaster from Colby.
It was a pretty sad sight when I opened their box. There was chirping coming from the box when it arrived, so I was hopeful their stressful trip hadn't taken too large a toll. I was wrong. A third of them were already dead and several more nearly so. I fired up the incubator and put the nearly dead and struggling to survive chicks in the incubator. From previous experiences we have found that sometimes just warming their little bodies back up for them will revive them. Of the 7 attempted resuscitations, five survived. One of those later succumbed, however.
On the bright side, eleven of them were fighters and they are looking pretty healthy and happy now, as you can see:
The hatchery will try again next week and send another shipment. Keep your fingers crossed their travels will be less eventful and they will arrive on time and in good shape. We ordered the hatchery's "Surprise Special" which is basically
comprised of the leftover chicks which weren't purchased as specific breed orders. It is fun to receive those orders because it is always an interesting group of chicks. We aren't sure which breed the majority of these are...but they are obviously hardy chicks. We have narrowed the selection down to 3 or 4 breeds which have chicks with these markings when they are little.
I'll send more pictures as they grow.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Chicken exchange
We sold a dozen live, full grown chickens yesterday. A Mexican gentleman came by on Friday to buy eggs and really, really, really wanted to buy some hens. I told him I couldn't sell him any until I checked with the other occupants at the farm. He came back again on Saturday and really, really, really wanted to buy some hens AND now he wanted a Rooster too. Since the residents of the small chicken house were tentatively destined either for a date with peas and carrots or freezer camp we agreed to sell him the birds. Since they are so much easier to catch at night, I told him to come back on Monday evening and we would have them ready for him to take away. He left his check with us on Saturday...he was determined he would have some chickens!
The small chicken house had 17 occupants, so there were five who had to be relocated to the big chicken house. We can completely clean and sanitize the small one to get it ready for the next group of baby chicks. (Okay I'll admit it, - Evelyne - will get the small one all ready for the next group of chicks.)
I ordered the new little ones yesterday right after the big ones left on their adventure. A little cardboard box with some little peeps coming from it should arrive in Saint Francis on Friday. It will be a mixture of several different kinds of chicks. Watch for pictures in a few days.
The small chicken house had 17 occupants, so there were five who had to be relocated to the big chicken house. We can completely clean and sanitize the small one to get it ready for the next group of baby chicks. (Okay I'll admit it, - Evelyne - will get the small one all ready for the next group of chicks.)
I ordered the new little ones yesterday right after the big ones left on their adventure. A little cardboard box with some little peeps coming from it should arrive in Saint Francis on Friday. It will be a mixture of several different kinds of chicks. Watch for pictures in a few days.
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