Sad event

Right now I am a chick-slave. Get up, check the four different aged chicks in their various rooms and containers--water, food, cleanliness---move the upstairs 6 week olds to the yard, move the 3 week olds into the 6 week old's swimming pool in the middle of the guest bedroom, let the 16 week olds out of the hen house into the chicken yard--feed the cat, feed the parakeet, let the five dogs out, let the five dogs in, feed the five dogs--check they have water and are grouped in compatible ways. Then go to work. I've stopped combing my hair before I leave the house! Come home for lunch and repeat chick care. Go back to work. Come home from work....reverse all the morning stuff. Tomorrow the 6 week olds are moving out! Okay I'm losing it. But I LOVE my chickens!

This message was edited Jun 6, 2008 11:26 PM

Wow, Catscan.....what a schedule! And I thought mine was petty bad! Yep, I'd be kicking someone out of the house too!

yes, that is why we will keep the five kittens. the mama comes and goes. the first we saw of these mouse was just the hindquarters that the kittens were chewing on. our first reaction was I wonder how far away she has to hunt to find a rat that huge! now we now, our own yard!

Peter is happy we are keeping all of them.

now if i could just get the dogs to kill them too. i's possible they are part blue heeler...

Molly- Wanted to let you know I'm sorry about your lil chickie.
So glad you could share, and you know we care, as we do
for our own. Hey, we all goof and learn how to do things better.
It's just sometimes sad.
Been reading all of this, glad you found your rats, Tf. Dastardly
lil b*****ds, huh? Sorry for your losses, as well.
Hey who be the one eating the strawberry popcorn? Drat!

That's a very good description, Cat- a chick slave! I was beginning
to feel like one for a while. Whew- glad I'm down to just 4 babies
right now. Ya know what though? You care about your chicks
and it shows. I know too many people that go for cute animals
and fail to follow through with good care. They give us so much,
don't they deserve to be loooked after?
Ya'll are good chick/duck/keet Mama's.
And GG, I am also sorry you lost a keet, if that's all so far, you are
doing really well.

Thanks, truest, that was the only one. We are moving the tweens out today so the little ones have more room in the nursery pen. The tweens are getting more crowded and they are flyers so they can get away from the teens if necessary. The teens won't even get up on the roosts out in their house. Boy, having more than one hatch in a year can be kind of like raising human kids again.

GG

Thanks truest.

Catscan I'm about to join you as a chick slave with the new ones arriving in the next two weeks or so. Ideal has not told me if they're replacing my missing Delawares or not since they emailed last week asking what I wanted (refund or replacements). I'm starting to wish I'd just said refund at this point.

MollyD

MollyD, truest and Ladybug--Don't they look so innocent when they first hatch? The eggs are even worse--you can't wait for the little darlings to emerge--then whammmm! Give me this! Get me that! I'm too hot! I'm too cold! I'm hungry!
I'm thirsty! I need more room! I'm bored! She's picking on me! ;0)

It is a very good thing they are so enchanting--or we would eat nothing but chicken pot pies! Actually now I feel guilty when I fix roast supermarket chicken. I keep thinking "Thats how they look without their feathers."LOL

Someday I will steel myself and eat one I raised--but not today. Today I am going to fix them a nice new outdoor run and make sure they are all clean, full and happy. CHICK SLAVES UNITE!

We'll be eating some of ours this fall. if we don't Paul will never let me order any more. He was laughing in the car the other day and I asked him what was he laughing at. He said "you. I was just thinking of you sitting there with all those chickens on you! You'll never be able to eat any of them". Can't let him be right!
Mine are happily running around outside in their very large pen. Paul gave me the go ahead to make it larger. It always pays to ask him for more space (like for gardening) right after he's mowed. At that moment he's sick of the lawn and wishing it were smaller ^_^ That's when I strike! LOL

MollyD

oh, MD you are so ever wise!

yes, i am a slave to fowl & children alike, what would i do without them? my brilliant son's answer "get a job!"

you who have a job outside the home & have chicks, i admire you!

my DH was surprised when we ate the firstBuckeye... his name was CopyCat, and he died fighting with Whitey.... at first i was thinking about digging a hole, then it's like, time to find out how they taste! even the kids were fine with it, we tlaked happily about CopyCat's days, and his funny ways, and how he got his name... while commenting on his extra dark thighs and extra tender breast...

truest, even my morning glories! well, get rid of rats, then plant a fall garden?

tf