Tuesday, March 27, 2007

More Chicks ... Sad Story Pt. 2

Monday dawned cloudy with the promise of sprinkles. The Post Office called at 7:30 a.m. instead of 6:30 and there was no traffic so I was there by 7:45. The shipper had insured the package and I had to sign for it. The Postal employee helpfully showed where they had peeled back the cover to look and there were already two small dead chicks. The rest seemed more lively than last week and this time I took no chances and put a small saucer of sugar water in with the new birds. They seemed fine for a short time.

But by early evening it was the same thing again. I'd lost four. Then another seven overnight, three this afternoon and this evening when I went out to check them again five more looked poorly.

Finally, at the last feeding tonight another four were gone and the fifth one looked ill. When all is said and done I think that there will be only five or six alive.

This is depressing. I know it's not anything I'm doing, that these small lifeless forms were consigned to death by their being chilled in shipping. But it's enough to put me off buying early chicks again unless we can figure out a better way to get them to keep warm on their way to my brooder. It's just way too hard to keep going out and finding new limp bodies.

I'll call the hatchery tomorrow. But I don't want any more chicks Not until it warms up or I can get them locally. I think I'll just ask for credit for the ones that died.

These chicks and the first batch will be planted under flowers and vegetables in my front yard. I hope that the sadness and pity I feel for them will be transformed by blooms and tomatoes this summer. I know the survivor hens will be cared for with love.

 

 

FAQ PAGE
CHICKEN SAYINGS
TOP TEN REASONS TO RAISE CHICKENS
VIEW STILLS

CONTACT

LINKS & ARTICLES

PRESS RELEASES
VIEW CLIPS