Hey everyone, sorry I haven't gotten back to you - it was a crazy weekend. I picked the chicks up around noon and felt everyone over, they were skinny and quiet and one was panting, which I thought was a bad sign... She brought out their box and I noticed no dishes were in it, I asked "When were they fed and watered last?" And she replies, "Oh last night around eight, I only give them water and food until they stop eating and drinking, then I take it out because they lay in it and kick it all over, they're so stupid. Plus whenever I feed them they poop all over everything and walk through it and I'm getting sick of giving them baths.
Then she tells me that one was bitten by her pet snake earlier that morning? And that it's foot had swelled up. Holy cow. I looked and sure enough this chick has two lumps on it's foot. Then she proceeds to tell me that they are ultra rare chickens called brockwells and that she paid 20 DOLLARS A PIECE for three of them. The other three she had that died, (poor things) were also "rare" chickens that she got from the same pet store for 25 a piece. She showed me pictures, the poor things were doomed from the start. She explained to me (because she is the chicken expert) that some species lay colored eggs, like blue pink or green, and that when they do the natural dye from the mother hen's egg seeps into the embryo and dies the chick the color of the egg.
This is what the people at the pet store told her to get her to pay 25 dollars per chick for some dyed silky chicks. And considering the SUPER vibrant colors she showed me, it's no wonder they died after a few days. Then she finishes our conversation telling me that the 20th I have to go to the vet an hour from my house to get these three chicks the remainder of their shots. I gave her a questioning glance and she explained to me that the day she got them she had them vaccinated, and handed me the vet paperwork. This vet charged her 95 dollars to "vaccinate" her three chicks. He vaccinated them against (and this is taken straight from his bill) Fowl Pox, Rabies, Avian Respiratory disease (Bordetella), Heartworm, Hepatitis, Corona, Parvovirus, and Parainfluenza. Not even kidding.
So silently fuming I drove home with these babies. First I gave them water which they drank straight for almost ten minuets, poor things. Then I cleaned off the snakebitten one's foot (which is fine now). Then I got them settled in their brooder. Then I angrily called both the vet and the pet store. The vet simply told me that he could not release any information regarding these chickens as my name was not the name on file. The woman at the pet store disgusted me the most, I called and asked her what chickens she had. She told me the same line of crap - brockwells and ultra rare naturally colored chicks. I could have jumped through the phone. Instead I calmly asked where she was getting her information on the chicks, and if she was providing proper information for the people coming to buy them. She laughed and said, "Oh, you're one of those. Listen lady, they're (explative) chickens. They're (explative) walking dollar menus. Who the (explative) cares if they live a few days, people aren't going to keep them once they get big an ugly anyway and the people realize they (explative for poo) all over anyway. They're disposable. Plus it's doing them a favor, it's either this or they end up laying in a factory and being turned into (explative) dogfood. Get off your high horse (explative). And go ahead and call animal welfare, they've been here - we're not doing one single (explative) thing wrong." Then she hung up the phone. I couldn't believe it. I literally stood in my living room stunned. I called the animal control but was told that although they had many complaints about the store, they were within PA code and there was nothing I could do except spread the word. It's sickening. But at least there are three chicks that won't be suffering the same fate. After three days they're doing good, eating and drinking, peeping and flapping around, different from what they were when I brought them home! I've got pretty high hopes for them, although I think one is a rooster. But anyway, here's their pictures, maybe you guys can figure out what they are? Ps - the dog in the picture is my mom's boston, a complete lover that was pecked only a few seconds later and sulked in the living room the rest of the night. So no worries about him and the chicks. Thanks for the support everyone! I appreciate it!
