Bring on the baby chicks!

It's finally finished!  The brooder house is set up and we are ready for our baby chicks and ducks.  We're still monitoring the temperature to make sure it doesn't fluctuate, but it's been steady for the last couple of hours. 

Feeders and waterers have been velcro'd to untreated 2x4's, so they will stay steady for the babies.  We'll move up to hanging feeders and waterers when they get bigger.  Scott hung a four lamp heater from the ceiling which we can raise or lower to adjust the temperature.  It has an adjustable thermostat, but we found it to be a little unpredictable, so we disengaged it.  We have another heater in the corner that we will probably remove after a few of weeks.

Our new flock is due to arrive on Friday.  We've ordered 50 Buff Orpingtons, 50 Isa Browns, 50 Barred Plymouth Rocks, 15 New Hampshire Reds and 5 Ameraucanas day old chicks.  We've also orderd 5 Khaki Campbell and 5 Indian Runner ducks so we can experiment with duck eggs.
 
Next is gutting the 24 foot, 1967 Air Stream.  As much as I would love to refurbish this cult classic into a lake side oasis, I'll forgo that selfish/expensive dream for the sake of our new tenants (you owe me Scott!).  Oh well, it looks a lot like an egg anyway.

We'll need to not only gut the interior, but patch up some exterior holes and replace the floor with grate, so the droppings will pass through.  After that, we'll mount nest boxes to the exterior, build a roosting structure inside and add a ramp for the chicks to enter and exit. 

More to come over the next several weeks as we try to prepare for spring.  Also, our final hearing with the county is scheduled for early March.  Please keep us in your prayers!

-Nicole