Baby Chicks

Dear Gage and Gabe,

We have raised chickens for a couple years now and over that period of time, some of our chickens have either run away or been attacked by a predator. What once started out as 11 laying hens, has dwindled down to five. Daddy went out to the Mennonites in Allen County and bought two adult laying hens to add to our coop. They are more expensive to buy as adults, so we decided to try to raise some hens from baby chicks. Tractor Supply sells baby chicks every spring for about $3 a piece, so Daddy bought six and the supplies to raise them up right. Since they were newborn, they couldn't be put out in the coop with the adult hens. They had to be under a heat lamp for a long time to maintain their body temperature and they eat special food.

The baby chicks on March 12 - the day we got them

March 29 - look how much they've grown. And their feathers are starting to come in

April 26

It has been really neat to watch them grow a develop. We've had them for about seven weeks now and they have changed so much. In the next two to three weeks, we will move them out to the coop with the other hens. At that point, they'll be big enough to endure the elements and get along with the other hens.

I love you,
Mommy