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Peep LifeWhile "PeepShow" is up and running, we get a lot of questions about how the Peeps live here at Chestnut Bay, so here's a summary. A Peep Is BornThough hatching your own chickens can be really cool, we've found that it's much more efficient, and usually more humane, to have our newly-hatched chicks delivered by mail order. A new baby chick (we call them "peeps") can live quite comfortably for about two days after they hatch with little or no outside source of food. Hatcheries which specialize in mail-order chicks pack the peeps into specially designed containers and mail them (usually thru the Postal Service) within hours of hatching. The trip from the mid-West to Vermont is usually thru Boston, and the peeping package arrives at our Postal distribution center the next night. This year, we got a call as soon as they arrived, and we had them home that night, instead of waiting 'till morning and having our local postmaster call us at 5:00 AM to tell us we have a package that JUSTWONTSHUTUPSOCANYOUPLEASECOMEHERENOWANDPICKIT UPYESSOMEONEWILLBEHEREJUSTGETTHEMNOWPLEASE. The peeps generally arrive in very good health, although a few may show signs of "stress", either because they are at the point of needing some food or water, or they may have been a bit weaker than their siblings when they were hatched. Even so, the 'yield' when shipping exceeds 90%; compared to an effective yield of 20-50% when attempting to raise hatchlings from a fertilized egg. Plus, the variety offered by a hatchery allows us to continually choose new breeds and update the farm's stock of hens. The Peep's First PadBefore we pick up the peeps, we've already prepared their first home--usually no more than a tall-ended cardboard box, lined with shavings, and some small bowls for water and feed. If there's any sign of stress, the feed can be wetted down, and some sugar or other carbohydrate is added to the water as a sort of "energy drink." The peeps first feed is called chick starter. We use this type of grain because we feel this gives the newly-hatched peep the best chance at survival because it is loaded with vitamins and protein. This helps the peeps to grow strong quickly. We also include a heat-lamp, located to one side of the initial box, and let the peeps position themselves as they choose for more or less warmth. The box stays in the main part of the house if they arrive in the winter, usually because they're just so darn cute and we like to watch them for the first few days. The peeps are a load of fun to watch. Everything they see and peck is new. They run from place to place, and then instantly drop sound asleep. Sometimes, the step over and on each other. When one finds something to peck at, everybody wants to join in. Then--boom--nap time again! This pattern repeats over and over all day long. Yeah, We're Movin' On Up...Then... they start to smell! After about 5-7 days, things start getting a little "fowl" smelling. At just about the same time, we'll wake up one morning and hear a little voice peeping for its life, as a chick somehow figured out how to hop over the box side during the night and is now really confused because the outside world is SCARY! This is the sign that they need a new, bigger, and re-located home. We've found that a large steel water trough, of between 50 to 100 gallons, makes a great second home. The sides are tall enough that the new "running jumpers" can't hop out, and the added space lets everyone coexist without all the trampling and pushing and shoving. We put the trough in the basement so the humans aren't bothered by it as much. They still seem to be quite nice to one another at this stage, but at the 2-3 week point, they start to work on the "peck order." We'll notice some chicks begin to dominate and intimidate others by pecking them away from food and water, or just pecking them to peck them! This is quite natural, and leads to an established hieararchy within the little flock by about the first month. Soon, they are big enough to hop out of the trough, but it's typically not warm enough to let them outside yet. We cover the top with chicken wire to make sure they stay in, and we start cleaning out the "nursery coop". I'm All Cooped Up (hey, hey, hey)(Sorry, Elvis) Around the 6-8 week point, they will have outgrown even the big trough, so it's time to head outside for good. Our "nursery coop" is actually our original chicken coop, tucked away in an enclosed part of our hay storage barn. It's fully enclosed by chicken wire, and inside an enclosed barn also, so predators are kept away. Here, the little hens are free to cluck about and be generally chicken-like, without the competition in the main coop. They'll stay in here until they are nearly full-grown, or about 4 months old. It's the Big House For You, Chick!Finally, they get moved into the main coop, where they end up on the "short end" of the established peck order there. They get the worst roosting spots, the drafty nest boxes--you know--the short end of the stick. It takes about a week to integrate into the rest of the hen community, and usually another 2-3 months before they start earning their keep by laying good eggs. |
Last modified: February 24, 2003
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