It has been eight days since chicks started hatching. So far we have 18 chicks and more on the way.

Chicks start pipping (getting a hole pecked in the shell) and then work work work to break all the way out. They come out wet, floppy and uncoordinated. In hours they fluff up and start exploring, looking for company. They are flock centric and need company more than even food and water once hatched. Their yolk remnants keeps them hydrated and fed for a while after hatching.

This is Ox at Day 7. Look at those wing feathers!

We moved a batch of the chicks out to the outside coop as their inside bucket was getting cramped. That, and with those awesome wing feathers, they would begin to be able to hop out of the inside bucket soon.

Zeke and Dusty know there is competition downstairs and are very jealous.

We had snow yesterday but not enough cold to refreeze the ground. Garden prep here we come! This also means we can move the ducks onto pasture soon.

We opened up the duck yard to Zeke’s yard so the ducks could mow the tall grass. They’ve done an excellent job and have such a good time in new territory.

Before we move the ducks to their summer digs two things need to happen. We need above-freezing temps overnight so we can water our livestock with hoses. We also need to gather sufficient duck eggs to hatch our next generation of ducks. We will start gathering duck eggs once we have room in the incubator, which will be in a couple of days.

In addition to the eggs we are hatching from our own flock, we have also ordered chicks from the feed store. In this era of insecurity we figure we may need to feed more than ourselves. If everything returns to normal, we can still feed more than ourselves!