Peeps! They have arrived...

And they are now set up for a few days in the study because its too freakin' cold out to have them in the garage.

Buckeye Chickens
So, what kind of chickens did I get?  Buckeyes.  First, honestly, I didn't want the same old chicken I keep seeing all over the place.  So I did a little research on chicken breeds and, there was a somewhat rare heritage breed developed by Nettie Metcalf in Ohio.  She was trying to create a breed of chicken that was cold-hardy.

Buckeyes are darker birds and have a pea comb that isn't as susceptible to injuries from frostbite.  The ones pictured to the left are the "parents" to my peeps.  The adults, I'm told are pretty easy going.  They are "dual purpose" birds.  This means they are for both eggs and meat.  I've been told that dual purpose birds are not as high volume in the egg department but they lay for a longer stretch of their lifetimes and have a more easy going temperament.  Bred by a woman, bred in Ohio...called Buckeyes.  I'm there! I grew up in central Ohio and I love the idea of buckeye chickens living in Ann Arbor (and Ypsilanti is the perfect spot for that kind of rebellion).

Turns out I am not first comer to that party.  There is a breeder here in the Ann Arbor area and he was fabulous to work with.  A visit to his farm was wonderful:  llamas were getting shorn; Tennessee Fainting Goat kids were running around; and he has some Guinea fowl that where fascinating.

Peeps

So far the chicks have settled in nicely.  Scratching and pecking in their box.  The office is warmer than it was and that is good for me because we are refusing to turn the heat back on and the rest of the house is cold. 

Right now they have a heat lamp over them.  They have a waterer and a feeder set up to one side.  The heat lamp gave me fits yesterday.  I had them in another box and it was clearly way too hot and the box was too short - they were almost jumping out of it.  So on to a larger box  with the heat lamp at a higher (meaning cooler) position.  It took most of the evening to get the lamp right (up, down - warmer, cooler).  The birds told the story.  They were either huddled on top of one another or all separate and panting.  I have a digital thermometer set up in the box too - just to keep track.  They seem to be happiest at an 84 - 86 degrees. 

Corn cob bedding...for chicks...not so good.  The cob bits look almost exactly like their food so until they know what their food is, don't use it.  I had to switch out.  Later on?  I think think corn cob, while expensive, is a good idea.  It is very absorbent and its kind of like really course sand.

Next Step
The next step will be a move out to a larger brooder in the garage (with a hardwire top).  It is just too cold to do that right now.   Plus, I think the closer contact with me is a good thing.  They were pretty scared yesterday.  They seem more settled today but I still feel like I am this invading giant.  Obie has made a couple visits too. He seems very interested but nothing like the cat who spent last night trying to open the study door.

Falling Asleep
We are just getting started but I can see all the typical chicken things I would expect: scratching, stretching, an early pecking order.  One cute thing to mention is that they fall asleep in mid stride.  Boom, out.  Then back up for more.  They do this as a group too - huddled in a corner and fall asleep slowly - the group looks like a deflating air mattress.

The are incredibly cute.