Getting the mail...

Sometimes getting the mail is more fun than other times.

The phone call came before 7:00 AM. It was the post master at the neighboring town. "Your chicks are here." (loud peeping could be heard in the background.) "Come and get 'em."  I was out of here like a shot. I could hear the cheeping from the parking lot. These chicks are loud. The post master handed me the box, and asked if I knew what to do with them. He dusted a fleck of hay off my shoulder and chatted a bit. I could hardly wait to get my loud box home.

Bravo was very excited to see, smell and hear the package.

He came out to the coop with  me and watched with rapt attention as I took each chick out of the box, and dipped it's beak into water. Once they try their first sip, they take time to drink deeply. They scoop water up into their tiny bills, then tip their heads back to help the water trickle down.

They begin to peck at everything, and eventually find the food tray. I set the heat lamp up, and the chicks move from the warmth of the lamp to the food and water. They gain strength and soon are hopping around like pop corn kernels in a hot pot. They are crazy cute.

 Bravo watches it all with intense concentration. And now, when we go out in the yard, if I say, "Let's check the babies," he makes a bee line to the coop so we can go in and make sure the fluffs are comfortable.

It's all very exciting. With luck these birds will grow to be our new layer flock. The breed is White Rocks. They will look like this when they mature:

I think it will be nice to see a pure white flock scratching around in the meadow next spring. I hope the chicks will grow and thrive, and be a happy addition the the farmlette.