Warm weather & baby birds

The weather has been record-breaking warm in Northwestern Vermont.  Daytime temperatures in the seventy degree range have brought our sugaring season to an end.  Just as one project wraps up, another begins; our baby chicks are beginning to hatch. 

Before I left for work this morning there were four of them hopping around in the incubator cheaping away.  If DH has time today he will be cleaning out the brooder and preparing it for the new arrivals this evening.  Before each new set of chicks we are sure to completely clean out and disinfect the brooder to kill any possible germs which might be lurking there.  You wouldn't want to eat off the floor, but we try to be careful.  The small amount of cleaning solution and only a few minutes of our time are very inexpensive in comparison to an entire egg-laying season lost.  We have been lucky and lost only three birds, out of 30 times that, to unknown causes in the six years we have been raising chickens.

We usually have only one round in the incubator each season, but my step-daughter has never seen chicks being born.  She will be with us in late April so we will start one more batch of eggs next week that will be ready when she is here.

Remember that phone call about more rabbits...  we are cleaning out some more room in the garage.