Two weeks and counting...

 

We asked the good folks at My Pet Chicken for 2 of each, left to right:  Australorps, Buff Brahmas (feathered feet! :)), Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons and (Golden Buff) Red Stars.  I feel a bit of anxiety in that I keep hearing "Don't count your chicks before they hatch" in my head.  They are unborn, after all?!  At this moment, they are anonymous eggs spinning slowing in a huge bright warm machine somewhere.  If I remember correctly, they take roughly 21 days to hatch? (< fact check).  

This group contains three old favorites:  Orpingtons, Barred Rocks and Australorps, and two breeds we have not had before: the Buff Brahmas and the (Golden Buff) Red Stars.  The Brahmas are touted as very gentle.  And gosh they are gorgeous.  The Red Stars are a pretty reddish color, and said to be tolerant of heat and cold.  

I wonder if it will be hard to tell them apart at first?  And I hope they won't be overcrowded.  We have only ever gotten six at a time.  We have 10 coming. I put this down to the sense of deprivation we have been battling (thanks pandemic!), changes in ordering--there is now a minimum of eight vs ... five? or even three? in other years, and our general unspoken agreement that this will be the last time.

Time to start gathering supplies! 
I ordered a small simple digital thermometer online this morning.
I'm pretty sure we have metal food tray, small water container, a silver worklight and at least two big red lightbulb (a spare).  All need to be dusted and tested/ examined of course.

Sister gave me a big box yesterday.  The width is perfect.  Just needs to be longer... so I will need to get out the box cutter and boxing tape and fiddle with it.  Then I went looking for the hardware cloth 'top' we have used in other years.  

I was totally surprised/ laughed out loud. Where it was laying, in between our little sheds, elm seedlings had grown up right through it?!!!  I had to get out the pruning shears and lop them off in order to free it.  I guess we stored it there early summer 2017?  (Which makes the volunteer saplings three to four years old?!) Given that it has been sitting outside off and on for 10 years, it is still in decent shape.