Arrival of the Red Rangers

This morning we picked up our Red Ranger chicks from the post office.  Excited to grow our own meat birds this Spring and hoping we chose the right breed!

We ordered 25 and the hatchery sent us 27.  Upon arrival it was clear one was passing on.  We introduced them to their new home, aka the brooder.  Before the chicks arrived we added wood shavings ($5 at TSC) to a plastic storage bin.  We filled a Mason jar with water (water jar fixture $3 at TSC), 1 tablespoon of honey, and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar “with the Mother”.  The water mixture is to make sure they have a healthy immune system and give ’em a pick-me-up from jet lag.  Some other essentials we added to the brooder were some fresh cut grass, food, grit, and a heat lamp ($16 for fixture & bulb at Wal-Mart).

A few differences I’ve noticed between egg layers and meat chicks, the meat birds are more wobbly and fall more often.  One of the little ladies (chicks) was rescued from the water!  They eat more than egg layer chicks and their appetite is healthier when the food is moist rather than dry.

The chicks were shipped from the hatchery on Tuesday and arrived at the Post Office on Friday!  That was disappointing…I was told they would be here on Thursday.  Maybe, it was the distance they had to travel.  I think next time I will stay in our region so the chicks will be here next day.

Our excitement remains high as we pursue living more sustainably by harvesting our own meat birds.  One step closer and having fun while we live it! 

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Blessings to you,

Alisha