Farmer’s Wife secures the crated chicks in the car.  In so doing she prevents the crate from sliding around or falling on the floor when she has to use the brakes during their trip.  The chicks need to maintain their body temperature, so she keeps the car very warm on route to their new home.

Arriving at the farm, Farmer’s Wife looks for Farmer.  She drives up to the entrance of the brooder house.  She turns off the car, leaving the chicks in the warm car temporarily, and goes to get 1/2 cup of sugar and a gallon of warm water.  The sweetened water is the first energy drink the baby chicks will get.  Farmer is close at hand and carries the crate of chirping chicks into the prepared brooder house.

Farmer has had the brooder lights warming the house for a few hours.  The brooder lights are heat lamps that hang above a little fenced in area of the house.  Since there is not mother hen to warm them, the lights do a good job of keeping them comfortable and healthy.

Farmer and his wife get nourishment ready for the chicks.  Farmer’s Wife, brings the warm water and sugar.  Farmer mixes up the liquid and places it in the drinking fountain.  He places the fountain in the fenced off area for the little peepers.  Farmer also places some of the chick starter in small feeding troughs for the chicks to find their first food.  Lunch is ready.

The breed that Farmer and Farmer’s Wife chose has red hens and white roosters.  So as they prepare to count the chicks, Farmer asks, ‘Which ones do you want?”

“I’ll take the whites, Farmer’s wife answers.

Systematically, Farmer and his wife take their assigned chicks,  giving each a drink of water and counting them till the crate is empty.

“How many did you get?” asks Farmer.

“Forty-eight roosters,” replies Farmer’s Wife.

“I got 54 hens,” notes Farmer. ” There are a total of 102 chicks and none of them looks sick.”  He and his wife watch the peepers get acclimated to their new surroundings.

Things are looking good. 

Now Farmer has time to do his chores.  Farmer’s Wife parks the car in the garage and goes to her work.  Farmer will check in on them again soon.

Photo on Flickr by Willrad