Cu-cu-ca-roo!

My Cackle Hatchery Surprise arrived today!  For the last week I have been awaiting my shipment and putting the last few touches on my brooder.  I called Thursday to specify that I wanted geese and turkeys if available.  The customer service representative was very nice but disclosed that she did not know how they fill the orders.  I had fanciful thoughts of getting five geese and a dozen turkeys and not knowing what to do with myself.  Monday I got an email saying that shipping label had been created and my package weighed 5 lbs.  I googled the weight of a day old chick 0.56 oz.  Let's do the math, 16 ounces in a pound, 16 x 5 = 80, and how many times does 0.56 go into 80?  142.8, rounded to 143. Holy shit!  That's a lot of chickens!  At least that is what I told my husband and he just shook his head.  Ok, yeah, so the majority of the weight is the package.  One woman on BackYardChickens.com said her package weighed 8 lbs.  What?! 

This morning I fanatically punched refresh on the USPS tracking web page and when I saw that the package had departed the sorting facility I called the local post office to confirm that I would be notified to pick up my order as soon as it arrived at the building.  I was surprised when I walked out from the back bedroom (where I had been watering my indoor starts) and saw Millie with the door open to a postal worker holding a cheaping box.  The box was A LOT smaller than I thought that it would be.  Only about 18 inches by 10 inches, which was like the size of my first laptop (yeah, it was a clunker).  I accepted the box and placed it on the kitchen table.  I quickly mixed a small amount of sugar in some warm water, got a warm wash cloth, and took a couple towels out of the dryer (they were nice and toasty) and placed them in the bottom of a rubbermaid container.  At this point both my daughters are going crazy pushing chairs up to the table to get a look at the peeping box and then abandoning those chairs because our cats commandeered them.  So my girls pushed up more chairs.  I chased the cats into the laundry room and shut them in.  Then I took a deep breath and cut the tape securing the lid. 

First Look at My Cackle Hatchery Surprise

I first looked to see if there were geese or turkeys.  I snatched out a duckling and used the warm washcloth to wipe its bottom clear of any feces that may have pasted up during the trip.  Next I dipped its beak in the sugar water and placed it in the rubbermaid.  I followed suit with the another duckling and then plucked out two turkeys.  I took the four of them to the brooder and separated the ducks to the designated waterfowl side and relegated the turkeys to the chicken side.  I returned to the surprise box and counted out ten chicks at a time, religiously cleaning their cloaca and dipping beaks in water.  After ten were in the rubbermaid I took them into the garage to introduce them to the brooder.  I made four such trips and then there were only six chicks left.  They got the same routine and then I brought them and my girls into the garage.  One of the turkeys seemed at little lethargic so I watched it a while, re-introduced it to the water and ulitmately decided to move the turkeys to the waterfowl side.  Even though the chicks were smaller than the turkeys, those poor turkeys were getting trampled left and right.  Which was kind of understandable, there were 46 little chicks running willy nilly.  I put them over with the two ducklings and they immediately improved.  

My lovelies

The ducklings and turkeys hanging out in their spacious compartment

Chicks mingling en mass

One of the last times I was at the library with my girls I got Storey's Guide to Poultry, thinking that I would be able to use it to identify my chicks.  HA! All of the pictures are of adults and while some chicks look like their parents most don't. I tried using the Cackle Hatchery site (because they post day old photos of all the breeds they offer) but found it too tedious.  Cackle offers such a large variety of chicks that going to each individual page was a super pain in the butt.  That and some chicks look really similar.  Meh, I don't really care that much.  I have fallen head over heels for these guys, which lessens the disappointment that I didn't receive any goslings.  After I abandoned identifying my chicks I did find a use for Storey.  I read up on the uses of bantams and game fowl.  I became deeply enamored with the Self Blue Old English Game Fowl...and I think I got two of those! Before the box arrived I was snobby and thought that I would just give away the more ornamental breeds that I received, huh, now it makes me want to cry just thinking about losing one!  I am sure that as they grow I will become less sentimental.  I think that I have successfully identified my ducklings as an ancona and a pekin.  The turkeys may be broad breasted whites or royal palms, maybe one of each.  Ahhh, just writing about them makes me miss them!

More fun news from today, I have been searching for ways to reduce my costs and it was suggested to me by multiple sources that I inquire at local restaurants and use their food waste.  I had a disappointing experience with Port of Subs, the manager was totally into it but when she asked the owner for approval we were shot down.  After my failure I was reticent to try again.  Then I spent the evening talking to Permies and my courage was bolstered.  I went by The Dish Cafe, which just happens to be locally owned by a super awesome guy, and inquired.  The owner was there and gave me a card with his number and told me to come back with a container, they would love to give me their scraps!  Long story short today I picked up my spoils.  Delicious romaine crowns, halves of apples, carrot shavings and more.  The chickens and ducks were pleased.  My plan long term is for the poultry that I am currently brooding to subsist on kitchen scraps, period. 

So...now will I get over it or should I go buy a gosling?  I can at least price them, right?