Every three years or so, we get a new batch of baby chicks. Â It’s our way of keeping the egg supply rolling in. Â Over the last few weeks I’ve been busy pouring over hatchery catalogs and trying to decide…how many? Â Which kind? Â What’s the best hatchery prices? Â Who will lay the most eggs..and on and on.
The last time we got a big batch of chicks was some time ago….That time they came from Murray McMurray Hatchery. Â That’s where I am ordering from again. Â I discovered them years ago…from Martha Stewart. Â That’s where she orders her chicks from.
The last time I ordered chicks from McMurray’s was so special. Â At 7 am on Sunday I got a call for the post office. Â The postman was on the phone and said our chicks were in and we could come pick them up from the post office. Â YEP! Â Chicks can be shipped in the mail. Â It just so happened that it was Mother’s Day…my best Mother’s Day EVER!! Â We had the option of driving to the post office in Decorah (30 minute drive) or picking them up Monday at our local post office.
Kalissa and I jumped right in the car to get them.
In the meantime, the rest of the family started setting up the chick area.
The posts office was filled with cheeps as we arrived. Â There were about 8 other boxes of chicks waiting to be picked up. Â The postman said several boxes had already been picked up.
I just love chicks…
Kalissa does too….(however, she doesn’t like chickens..at least not the chores)
I had trouble narrowing down my order. Â The minimum order is 25 chicks. Â (other hatcheries have smaller limits) Â I was suppose to stick with the 25…but (shhhh) what hubby doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Â I think I ordered 28. Â Trust me, I would have ordered more but our building isn’t bigger. Â One thing I like about McMurray’s is that I can order one or two of different breeds. Â Some hatcheries make customers order 5 or each breed. In all, I ordered 13 different breeds.
I have a BIG circle around April 23 on my calendar….It’s chick day!
Oh how cute!! We have chickens too and I have found that our easter eggers (sold by hatcheries as americaunas although they aren’t purebred americaunas from any hatchery) seem to have the best laying record-and we have sex links and australorps, which are all very good layers. We used Ideal Hatchery through a local feed store and didn’t lose a single one, although one of our sexed pullets turned out to be a rooster. Luckily it was fine since we have no neighbors to complain. Your last batch of chicks are adorable! I hope you have great luck with the next batch.
Very exciting! I am green with envy!
I keep saying that we should raise chickens but hubby says he would have to go out there in the snow and other bad weather. I know he is right. I would still love to. Those chicks are so very cute.
LOVE my chickens. Awaiting my order from Murray McMurray also. It is a big day in our house too when they arrive. The chicks get to stay in the laundry room with me until they get big enough to go outdoors with the big girls!! Silver dorkings are my favorite!!!!!
I have chickens. Mine are mostly for showing though I did get some Black Copper Marans for egg laying. I hatch my own. That way I don’t have to worry about what is inside the box when I go to pick it up. I tend to order hatching eggs when I want to add different breeds or bloodlines to my flock.
So cute!! I think I’m with Kalissa on this one… love chicks, they’re just so adorable, but don’t think I care much about chickens :)
I grew up on a farm in central Illinois and I remember when my dad would get chicks. We set up a big box in the back room and had the warming lights on it. The chicks were so cute and cuddly. I’m with Kalissa though about chickens, the only good chicken is a fried one! They would always chase me when I was a kid, so didn’t like them then. I sometimes think it would be fun to raise them now, my sister in law gets wonderful fresh eggs from her hens, better than store bought. Enjoy your new babies when they arrive, they grow out of the cute stage really fast!
Does this bring back memories. I was in 4H and we had the opportunity to receive 100+ chicks as a project in conjunction with Sears. The second time we received them in March, which was too early for chicks in Connecticut, and I had to bring them in the house to get warm. Enjoy your little peeps.
Our big circle is around May 9th. That is our chick day. Also hubby’s birthday. (grin) I ordered from Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon, MO. We have always had good luck with their chicks. We have 15 coming. I always get excited when new chicks are coming. Good luck with yours.
I’ve never raised chickens, but remember the first year that I worked at the post office and found out that they delivered them by mail. I was amazed at what all goes through the mail. Thanks for reminding me of the chickies chirping all night and the little ducklings quacking all night.
Wow! How exciting! Having grown up and always living in LA, we never had animals except a dog, so it’s so fun to read your adventures and those of your blog. For me, a window into a different life! Love the pictures.
What a beautiful gift you picked up. I also did not know they came in the mail. They bring memories and work as family time. Thanks for sharing.
I showed the pictures to my 9 year old daughter and she’s wondering if we can “adopt” one?!! I told her that you raise them to lay eggs, etc. Plus we live in the “big city”. I have a cousin that lives in the country and has chickens, I told her we’d go visit them. She wants to know if they have chicks to adopt.
Our chick day is April 18. I’ve been seeing lots of chick talk in blogland lately. We’ve got to cat proof the porch before ours arrive. :)