Bug Chick
In the Brooder
- Mar 2, 2019
- 1
- 10
- 27
This getting to know me is still under construction.... Part 1 Hello, My name is Liisa Bug and I have been the proud caretaker of a family of hens and roosters that is getting smaller as I move some of my kids to another location, the Frog Farm, where my sister will care for them. I manage a small motel and r.v. park in Westport, Wa. The owner of the motel is also owner of the Frog Farm and has owned chickens for many years. Though he has never developed the kind of attachment to the feathered fowl as I and my sister have. I currently have 4 grown hens and 2 grown roosters, 4 teenaged what I believe, but not as of now sure, are all roosters, who I have nurtured since they were a day old. And one Kelso, my baby girl. Most were born at the Frog Farm before my sister moving there. The 4 teenagers were born there in March, and still a very cold time of year here on the coast. Luckily they were discovered just a day after hatching. There were 2 found dead near them that did not survive the cold. Five had made it through the night with mothers help and my boss and I were able to catch them all and took them home with us to the motel . This would be my second experience in raising chicks though the first five had been born at the motel at a warmer time of the year and Mama was managing to take very good care of them. As far as the new babies, for the next few weeks they would live in my living room in a large dog carrier. That first night another chick gave up it's hard fight to survive. But four made it through that night and in days were seemingly out of the danger from their brutal beginning. In the third week Mama began behaving wild, franticly kicking the bedding and dumping food and water dishes in the carrier, she was obviously very agitated from being caged in and her babies were getting thrown around in this process. I decided to relocated the carrier to outdoors, thou it was still quite cold, but out of concern of the little ones lives, I thought it necessary. I fenced in a small yard around the carrier and removed the door so they could be outside. It was very chilly. I covered the carrier with a couple of water proof sleeping bags and hoped for the best. With the cold and all they seemed to thrive. We began to have some sun shine during the days that took some of the chill off and they were able to be outside for several hours a day. Then they were learning how to hunt for bugs and worms and take dust baths. So all and all it was the best thing to have done for them. Now they are strong and healthy and want to be with the grown flock who is not ready to except them as of yet. In the middle of saving chicks lives there was one hen at the Frog Farm that I worried about. A bantam and fizzle, with the curled feathers and un able to fly. She so much smaller than all the others except one rooster and most likely her father. Injured somehow and a limp that wasn't getting better. And she not able to out run the large roosters, I feared for her. We were able to catch her and home to the motel she too came. I had a month before become very close to the one rooster that had come from my first batch of babies. He began to follow me around the property. I could pick him up and put him on my shoulder and he would stay they day with me as I did my chores and cleaned rooms. He began coming inside with me and some nights sleep on the table next to my bed. I put a roost in my room and he became a indoor rooster and a great alarm clock. One afternoon he and one of his sisters met up with a unknown predator. Horrifically I discovered their mangled bodies near the coop. I still miss my guy so very much. When I love I love hard and full. And I was madly in love with my dear friend. But I was ready to try and love again with the fizzle little injured hen. She has her own bedroom within mine and is just a sweet little soul. Although she spends her days out with the flock instead of doing chores with me she is all mine in the evenings and is the joy of my life. Although Thomas, my cat doesn't seem to feel much fondness to her. Never put off by my friendship with the rooster he seems to be a bit threatened by the little girl. He has even gone as far as killing 3 robins right in front of her. As if trying to tell her ,"this could be you". I am now trying to spent some extra quality time with Thomas to assure him my love for her doesn't lesson the love I have for him. We are working at being a family that gets along. That included Kelso's (my little fizzle friend) name sake, my loving daughter, tiny and beautiful formerly known as Kelsie, hense Kelso's moniker, who now goes by Sunflower Sunshine Daisy. So this is my family, all living together in our small two bedroom motel room Liisa Bug, Sunflower Daisy, (for short) spending a lot time here, Sunflower Daisy's boyfriend Jimmy, Thomas and little Kelso. One big happy family, Bug's clan with lots of love and more importantly understanding. More to coming....
We are glad you joined this flock!
to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
