Becky's Newest Happy Hens

On July 6th I received an unexpected call at around 10:30am from the post office letting me know the 15 chicks I ordered from MyPetChicken had arrived! They were supposed to arrive the week before, but the Easter Eggers that I ordered weren't available so they held the order until they could ship them all at the same time. Lucky for me, I have a very flexible job and I was able to drive into town to pick them up right away.

When I arrived at the post office, I wanted to open the box while I was there to see if any were D.O.A. (Dead On Arrival). MyPetChicken guarantees them for the first 48 hours. A refund is issued for any chicks that don't survive during that time period. Unfortunately, one little lady didn't make the trip. One of the postal workers said, "Maybe she's just sleeping." The poor little thing was stiff as a board and almost as flat as a pancake, so I told her I was pretty certain that wasn't the case. Sad, but it's bound to happen. The first few days are touch and go. I always have a little knot in my stomach when I go to check on them in the morning for fear that one may not have made it through the night.

When I got the girls home, I quickly cleaned up the brooder and got everything ready for them. Broody, Marilyn and Brookie (my Silkies) weren't as excited about their 14 new roomies as I was, but they didn't seem homicidal either, so that was a plus! The new chicks were loving the new space...running about, drinking, eating, resting, and exploring.

Out of the 15 chicks, I had lost 2-Easter Eggers and a Welsummer by day three. The two that died after they arrived were showing signs rather quickly that they may not make it, so I was prepared for the loss. The rest of my girls are doing well. They've been growing like weeds and developing unique personalities. Stand-by for updated photos!

I was amazed at how easy it was to identify each different breed by the markings at such an early stage. Here's a breakdown of the different quantities/breeds I ordered:
5-Easter Eggers
3-Barred Plymouth Rocks
3-Welsummers
2-Australorps
2-Speckled Sussex