I went on a hunting adventure today. Last night I called Tractor Supply in Topeka and was told they had lots of baby chicks. I got up early this morning and was in Topeka before 8:30. The store opens at 8:00. They had one chick left. They told me they might be getting more this afternoon.
I got on my phone and checked the North Topeka store. I called them and they didn’t have any. I checked with the Holton Tractor Supply store and was told they were just then checking in a bunch. I headed north to Holton.
I was able to get 20 chicks. 10 are Easter Eggers, which are the ones that lay blue or green eggs, and I got 10 Leghorns. It was a noisy ride home with 20 chicks peeping away.
I got them settled in a tub when I got home. One of the Easter Eggers wasn’t very active like the others. I helped it get some water and watched it eat a bit. About two hours later I checked on the chicks and it was dead. It doesn’t surprise me to lose one but it is sad when it happens.
I went to Strong City and got a second heat lamp and thermometers to put in each box. Temperature control is especially important during the first week or so. Too hot and they get dehydrated and die and too cold they get sick and die.
I checked the forecast and we may get snow mid week next week so will wait until that weather system passes before I put them down in the coop. I may have to set up a bigger nursery in the house before then. They grow very quickly the first couple weeks of their life. My two groups are only five days apart in age so will be able to mix them within a week or two. The older ones are already about twice as big as the new ones.
The chicks I got today were $5.49 each. The ones I got last week were $5 each. Wowsers! Last time I bought chicks two years ago they were $3 each. Thinking the price I will charge for eggs will need to rise this year. Looking forward to July as that is when they should start laying.
While I was in Strong City I went to City Hall and got signed up for auto pay for my water bill. I am having trouble with mail delivery and didn’t want to miss another water bill and have to pay a late fee. I prefer auto pay anyways. Saves me time and money in stamps. Grateful they do auto pay now. Last time I checked they only did it with the local bank and I don’t have an account with them.
Feeling more grounded and rested today. Decided against taking a nap although I think if I had laid down I could have fallen asleep. Still feeling the effects of the weekend but in a good way today. Everyone of the women that came had had a major life event happen. The phase “Be kind, you never know what someone is going through” seems appropriate for all of us.
Kathy will start her trip to KS tomorrow. Her car is loaded with all the things she is bringing plus the four passengers. There is a weather system that is hitting part of her planned route so trusting she will find ways to navigate around it.
I haven’t gotten anything done today except for my chicken adventure. Still don’t have all my energy back from the weekend but by tomorrow I should be back to my new normal. It has been a quiet afternoon on the prairie and I feel myself calming and quieting down internally.
I follow a page on Facebook called Wild Goose Counseling. The author of the page teaches how to make boundaries. The post today talked about the need to identify your own personal needs and then seek out resources to help get those needs met. I am getting better at that but it took me years to realize I needed to be able to ask for help in getting my needs met and not expect that someone could see what I need without me communicating them. I had a hard time thinking I deserved to have my needs met. I’m glad I am finding ways to get my needs met these days and am able to ask for what I need from others. What a hard lesson that was for me to learn.
Grateful for new chicks on the prairie today, grateful for cell phones that made my chicken adventure successful, and grateful for Wild Goose Counseling and the lessons she is helping me learn.