Rural Gardening: Omelet and the Hat (i.e. Hattus Horribillis), 1 by DrDoolotz

DrDoolotz wrote:
Today, I went out to the barn to check on the chicks in the brooder box. We have been having temps around -25 F (yes, that is a minus sign in front of the 25) with the wind chill. Even with 2 heat lamps, I had lost a chick. It was one of the double frizzle ones hatched a few months ago. The other one appeared to be not far behind in its departure of this mortal coil. I hurried it inside and checked it over. For some reason it had a blood spot on its foot (top) but I still don't know why. Anyway, I washed her feet, having fairy surely established that this chick was a pullet, and stuck her in the Brinsea incubator where I have 2 eggs going. I figured that was the fastest way to warm her up.

Following that, I busied myself with other things and went back to check on her in an hour or so. She was up and moving about slowly, and had eaten some chick kibble and drank water too. I was delighted so I took her out and wrapped her in a fleece blankie and took her to sit with me at my desk, where I had the heating pad on for my back and she rested against the heating pad and warbled at me.

Anyway, she was doing much better over time so I began looking for the right container to become her temporary home, so that I could carry her around with me and keep an eye on her. I was not having much luck, and then it came to me. The horrible hat. Yes, the dreadful hat that Catscan knitted that she made me take a photograph of for ridicule purposes....it has gone from being Hattus horribillis (horrible hat) to Hattus habilis (home hat). Home for Omelet the little frizzle who needed a warm place.

I hope she makes it. She seems to have a little bit of breathing noise, so I hope she's not coming down with some respiratory nastiness. We shall see. For now, she lives in a hat.