Learning From Our Experience: Hatch Dates
Chickie Daddy teased me in the beginning how I was nesting for our new arrivals. The office/craft room became a nursery much earlier than I had ever planned for, complete with the brooder set up and a chair to sit in with a stack of books about raising chickens on it.
Fast forward 2 months and this same Chickie Momma is meticulously checking the weather to see if there's ANY hope that the girls can move into their coop permanently. Outside. Where their waste doesn't stink up the house. Where their food fights don't have to be cleaned up. Where I don't have to have a heat lamp plugged in 24/7. Where my craft supplies aren't continually covered with dust. Where they will be self contained and I'll no longer be tiptoeing through an obstacle course of bags of food and bedding, rolls of paper, stacks of plastic bags, and stray poops.
The girls need to stay together so that the established pecking order remains and the cohort's bond remains strong. Unfortunately, with the 2 weeks age range, the entire group is not yet ready for the transition. The OGs and Vera have been ready for the great outdoors for about 2 weeks. Their silky feathers are grown in and these spoiled Chickie girls should not be needing the warm temps of the brooder anymore. The other 3 are quickly catching up, but unless temperatures finally resemble a proper spring, they will be housebound for another 2 weeks. With the Littles turning 5 weeks earlier this week, they're almost ready to brave the cool temps without the heat lamp. Nettie is notorious for snuggling herself under one of her sisters' wings, so at least she knows how to stay warm when Chickie Momma cuts the heat. Her fuzzy feathers fill the air as she zooms around gobbling fresh veggies, further encouragement for us to remain patient for the upcoming transition.
When the orders were placed, the drastic growth between various weeks wasn't considered. Also not considered was my tendency to feel claustrophobic in cluttered spaces. The chance that spring wouldn't actually bring spring like temperatures to the Midwest was also lost on this California Girl.
For Cohort 2 the following changes will be made:
- Chicks will be no more than 1 week apart in age
- Full grown size of chicken variety will be considered
- Better timing between outside temperatures and fully feathered chicks
No doubt about it, the Chickie Parents will miss the "we're awake, come see us" chirps heard from the room, the excited hops up to the edge of the brooder when the lid is removed, and even the chaos of rounding up six very independent chickies, but everyone will be much happier when they're outside. Much happier....even if that means the guest room is slept in so their chirps can be heard from the window.
