2026 Baby chicks!
Each spring since we opened our barn, we have been thinking about chickens!! More specifically baby chicks, Here is a history:
In 2017, we took a “chicken keeping” class from our friend Tom at Sun Dew Gardens (they have since closed). We learned a lot!
In 2018 - we were given some full grown adult hens that were already laying to start our flock.
In 2019, we received some pullets (baby female chicks) from a friend
In 2020, we ordered from Meyer Hatchery
In 2021 - I don’t remember what we did? (maybe nothing?)
In 2022, we ordered from Meyer Hatchery
In 2023, we ordered from Meyer Hatchery, the only baby chicks available to us (there was an egg and baby chick shortage!) - 15 blue Orpingtons
In 2024, we hatched 15 of our own baby chicks + we ordered 15 baby chicks from Meyer Hatchery (for the 4th or 5th year).
In 2025, we purchased 10 buff Orpingtons from our local Tack Shack.
Now it’s 2026. Tack Shack is still a great option, but their chicks won’t arrive until April 20 this year, and we need ours a little earlier (Our speech therapist Julie is having a small group class on baby chicks!) So I’m back to ordering from Meyer Hatchery again. One of the things I really appreciate about Meyer is how easy their system makes it to choose female chicks. Since hens are the ones who lay eggs, that matters a lot — especially because flocks of hens typically tolerate only about one rooster for every fifteen hens, and extra roosters usually have to be rehomed. Many breeds can be “sexed” right after they hatch based on visible markings, like a black dot on an otherwise yellow fluffy head. Meyer allows you to choose the sex, the hatch date (we need ours in early April), and the breeds — which makes planning our flock much easier.
Here is what we chose this year for 2026…
10 assorted egg layers (we don’t know their exact breeds until they grow up a little!)
1 bonus baby chick to donate the eggs to the community
I LOVE this time of year! It is very exciting that the baby chicks arrive in the mail - from the US Postal Service! Read how this works at a handy blog post here. And watch a video from a previous year here.
I’ll keep you posted!
2024 Spring Chickens! Baby Chicks - Part 4
Photo Album for 2024: https://photos.app.goo.gl/37Lvuxnyh9MWTk48A
Baby chick update! We have 26 baby chicks at the moment. I started off thinking we needed about 8 new baby chicks. And we ended up with 26. That is classic "chicken math."
Here is a breakdown:
4 of Falcon's blue eggs hatched on April 15th! There is 1 named Chipmunk, I'll let you guess which one that is
5 of Einstein's white eggs hatched on April 15th! We are hoping her babies are just like her previous baby chick - the famous Captain Sparkles!
15 baby white leghorn chicks arrived in the mail (via USPS) on April 16th!
1 Bonus / Charity chicken arrived from Meyer Hatchery on April 16th!
Also - photo of our chickens as of April 1, 2024. There are 29 adult chickens in this photo.
Captain Sparkles has been sitting on a nest of eggs and 1 of her baby chicks hatched!! Well, it was a brown egg actually - but she was sitting on it. It hatched on Tuesday, April 23rd! We put it in our chicken brooder, because it was randomly cold Tuesday evening
2024 Spring Chickens! Baby Chicks - Part 3
Monday, April 15th update: 10 of our eggs HATCHED!! 5 eggs from Falcon, 5 eggs from Einstein. The 5 baby chicks from Falcon are all different looking, 2 black, 2 brown, and 1 looks like a chipmunk! The 5 baby chicks from Einstein all look almost identical - they are yellow chicks with 5 toes and bright orange feet. We are REALLY hoping Einstein’s baby chicks grow up and look like Captain Sparkles! Or at least I hope they have her very friendly personality!
Here is a link to some videos of the baby chicks hatching - it was pretty incredible to watch. It takes a few hours to hatch. They come out very wet. It reminded me of baby turtles the way they flopped around while they figured out their footing. Within an hour or so of hatching - they were up walking. Different chicks had different energy levels after hatching.
Here is a 4 minute video of one of Einstein’s eggs actually hatching: Click here
2024 Spring Chickens! Baby Chicks - Part 2
Incubator update: We rechecked the egg growing activity on Monday (which was Day 15) and we have 7 eggs that are definitely still viable. They will start hatching this Sunday or Monday. the fabulous nature club kids and I moved the incubator out to the tack room - into the baby chick area actually. The tack room is much more conducive for students to observe baby hatching activity - much better than my living room.
2024 Spring Chickens! Baby Chicks - Part 1
Do you ever look at your pet chicken and think, "I sure wish there was more of you?"
It all started because we are all in love with this chicken named Captain Sparkles. And she happens to be the offspring of one of our other most favorite chickens - Einstein! And Einstein happens to be one of our best egg layers. And in a long story, the rooster around here is (probably) the offspring of the dad that was half the creation of Captain Sparkles... I can explain better in person if needed
So then I did a lot of research and purchased an incubator. And now we are on day 8! And 13 - 15 eggs might hatch! (out of 22).
I'll keep you posted. We are all kind of obsessed around here.
2023 Baby Chicks!
In March 2023, there was a shortage of eggs! and a shortage of baby chicks! And so we ordered what we could - which turned out to be great!! We ordered 10 blue orpingtons.
Here is our photo album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/82q8HHXeaCZrG6YN6
News article on 2023 egg and baby chick shortage
2022 Baby Chicks!
Here is a photo album from our 2022 Baby Chicks!!
Photo Album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/cGmrmz7umBBjuaBh9
Baby chicks are here!
My local chick supplier had no chicks for me to buy this year. So… we ordered baby chicks through the MAIL for the first time this year. The United States Postal Service has been mailing day-old chicks since 1917 over 100 years! The place that started it, Murray McMurray Hatchery in Webster City, Iowa is still around and is still mailing chicks! We actually purchased our chicks through a place called Meyer Hatchery. I liked how we could choose assortments of chicks with a specific purpose. Otherwise I was likely to spend hours, weeks, probably months researching the best breeds and never reaching a decision. I ordered 5 pullets (baby hens) from the “Rainbow” assortment” and we are guaranteed to get 5 different breeds of pullets who grow into very colorful hens, because, why not? When the little squawking poop machines go on an egg laying strike, at least I can enjoy their varied colors and patterns. I ordered another 10 pullets from the “egg laying” assortment (both white and brown eggs) to keep my reputation of egg-pusher relevant. Interestingly, they offered to add 1 mystery chicken for free, with the idea that if it is a hen, I will donate the eggs, or if it is a rooster, I will donate the meat to someone in need. Sounds reasonable given my need to feed, so I clicked yes on that box.
The video below is Anna and I unboxing the baby chicks and attempting to count them.
We have them on our patio for now, they didn’t last long in the house. They are so LOUD. We have a random plastic thing for the top of the plastic bin.
Sophia attempting to have Cameron hold a baby chicks. He wasn't into that. He did name one though, he named her Rage. As in a wrestler on TV. Or as in my feelings about the school science fair.