Hatching our first batch of Chicks

Eagle Ridge Gardens

The cost of eggs has been steadily increasing and sodas the demand for home raised eggs.  Last year we were surprised when we discovered we had a rooster in our new batch of store bought chicks.  Soon after the one did we discover three more roosters.  We kept the gentlest rooster to see if he would bring unity and order to our blended flock.  He did help reduce the hen pecking in our flock.  Now we want to see if he can give us more chicks to expand our flock.   

We now have 20 new baby chicks in the brooder boxes. This is a short video of one of those chicks hatching.   

Watch video of baby chick hatching

A warehouse of people

These sketches were done by a fellow inmate.  He did a pretty good job capturing the layout of our barracks. They were well organized like a warehouse would be. 

In total, there were 150 beds in each barracks.  Each cube was 10x12. The 2-man cubes had a steel bunk bed. 2 steel lockers and steel desk with a pedestal seat mounted to the brick wall.  It was a minimalist form living. 

My cube was on the far left of the isle.  I was blessed to have a window that faced West toward home. 

View of a 3-man cube

 

Our barracks had sixteen 3-man cubicles.  The rest were 2-man cubes.  Thankfully, I lived in the 2-man cube during my entire stay.

These 3-man cubes were often used as a form of unspoken punishment.  They were reserved for people who were defiant or for some reason weren't liked by the staff. However, this was not always the case, guys were simply assigned by the next available bed and if it was a 3-man cube, this was your new home.

After I left Elkton, I was told that they removed the third bed in these cubes as a measure to control the spread of covid.