Raising the Chicks

Raising 35 chicks in the laundry room is quite an adventure.

It took 2 weeks and 7 trips to feed stores to purchase 35 baby chicks. The stores selling chicks limited purchases to only 5 a day. We were able to get a nice variety of good egg laying chicks.

Luckily having 35 chicks in the house were so happy that they didn't make too much noise.

As the chicks got a little older we took them outside to enjoy the sunshine. Mike made sure he handled them frequently to get them used to humans.

The chicks had to be checked daily for "pasty butt" which is a common ailment that will kill a chick if not taken care of quickly.

The chicks enjoyed stretching their legs on a sunny afternoon before going back into the laundry room to stay warm.

As the chicks got older they were transferred a few at a time to an enclosed area in the barn. The nightly temperatures were still freezing so heat lamps were a must.

Watching chicks move about is very therapeutic.

More chicks require more room!