We called Hilltown Agway this morning to find out if they still had our chicks that they called about last evening. They said we had 20 to be picked up, so I said we would be down as soon as possible. We went down to pick them up and stopped at GNH to get a sheet of plywood ripped to 24” x 96”, so we could insert each piece as a divider on the floor of the brooding house, since Gracie (the rabbit) continues to leap over the 12” divider which we extended to 17” and she still vaults over. We made several needed changes in the brooding house today by adding a new light and dividers to keep the chicks warmer and more cuddly. We decided that we would place screen from the ceiling to the top tier bird shelves so that they don’t fly over the top of them later when the little chicks start flying.
More closed in and comfy.. Less chance for breezes!
Dual lights offer a backup if one blips during the night!!
These guys now look healthy and happy.
We also made the duck's area a little more cozy and added another heat lamp there for back-up also. The ducks were appreciative and said so!
Dual lights as an insurance policy against bulb failure in the night!
Cuddling duckies saying thank you in quack-wa-neese!! They are appreciative of everything.... and miss nothing....nothing at all!! EVER!!!!!!
We will be making rabbit pens for outside later so that we can keep the young one outside until they are big enough to turn loose on the grounds to ramble wherever they want to go. We are also going to build a pair of hutches for the pregnant females.
When we got to Hilltown Agway, they told us that there was only 10 there today. That means we will be getting chicks until June!!! This is a bad year for chicks…. They are all late and we don’t know if it is because of a backlog, lack of hatcheries or that the hatcheries are having bad luck with their clutches hatching…. who knows.
What we do know is that we have left 3 eggs in the nest today to start our own clutch under Esmarelda. We will see how big the clutch gets before she goes to perking them. This is the ideal way to raise a clutch of chicks….let the mother hen take care of them. If Esmarelda does go to perkin’ the clutch, we will remove her and the chicks to the brooding house where she can be alone in a cubicle with the chicks.
Sweet Vicki and I went to get our hair cut today…We both needed our hair cut. We go to Spring, the lady that owns and runs “Hairtique” in Greenville. She is a very nice lady and does a spectacular job. We enjoy going there and we have received some good tips from Spring on good places to eat in the surrounding area.
Tomorrow, we will be ready to drag out the tools and start making a visual difference in the looks of the barn. We will start placing the 2 x6” tie boards around the top square and install the gusset supports where needed. It will then start looking like a building. (I hope) For tonight, however, we are treated to the antics of Casey Mae the entertainer... lover... comedian and friend of all.
Enter the whole "Motley Crew". All are ready to play!! Princess and Dutchess look on.
Here's Casey Mae in rare form. Like I say..."Casey Mae leads the way!!"
Then everyone calms down and goes to sleep. All but you know who! Look how big Casey Mae has gotten. She is almost as big as Beary!
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