Well, it's springtime, and that means babies. Lots and lots of them on a farm. In our particular case, I'm talking about a box full of baby chickens. Meat kings/Cornish Cross birds, like we had last year. They grow really fast (and eat an ungodly amount of food in the process), and are ready for butchering in eight to ten weeks.
Here's Garrett, holding a two-day old baby chick (with Daddy's help). He's very excited, but he doesn't like having them poop on his hand. Totally understandable; I didn't enjoy it, either. Still, he is enthusiastic about the experience.
They're staying in the house tonight; we weren't expecting them until Wednesday, so we aren't fully prepared for their arrival. There's a makeshift bin with a warming plate, food and water for them, so they'll be fine overnight. Tomorrow, we'll get the bin in the garage ready for them. Much roomier, to give them room to grow. And they will grow. Last year, our meat birds averaged 6.75 pounds. We had a couple reach the eight-pound mark.
And don't worry, the birds will be totally safe tonight; we have a volunteer to watch over them, all night long if necessary.
I totally trust him; don't you?
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