Chick’n Nuggets

Well, I would like to formally introduce you to our 5 new family members! They are just about a week old. They were given to us by our friend Shannon (actually she has their whole little chick lives documented on her blog, it is really fun to see the little eggs chirping!!)

They are not yet named (by us), we need to get to know them a little better, then we will give them names. But, they are so fun to watch. Justin and I keep running out to the garage to look at them and watch them.

One little chunk thinks that the food dish is her nest, and we always catch her sleeping in it, (with the others trying to peck around her to eat)

I am quite the nervous little mommy! We got them home and turned on their light, they were getting over heated, panting pretty heavily. I went out at 8:00 and bought a big plastic tub for them. But then the light wasn’t heating them enough (I was using my meat thermometer, how ironic- don’t tell the little gals)

At 10:00 I ran to Walmart to pick up pine chips a heating lamp, higher wattage bulbs, and a little thermometer, to make sure it was all okay.

We got them all safely in their new home, with their new lamp and the temp went up to 120 degrees –TOO HOT! We ended up changing the bulb to a 60 watt bulb, and exactly 98 degrees, equalled happy little chicks. I slept nervously all night, but didn’t allow myself to get up to check on them- or I never would have slept, my mind would have been racing. In the morning, I ran out there and all five were alive and peckin’ as it were!

Justin is going to be building them a little coop that matches our house- he’s been designing for 2 weeks. He is really excited about it!

We just have to be really careful to keep the furry population away from their new siblings. or they really will be chicken nuggets!