We bought this 109 year old farmhouse last summer, and we could not wait to get some chickens this spring. We have a few buildings on the property already, and one of them was used for quail, or pheasants I guess. It's a big building, and we can probably fit 40 or so birds in it.
Anyway, we have to some repairs to the building before the chicks can go in there, and the weather has not been cooperating these past couple of weeks. We currently have our chicks in our basement. It's a big basement, very old stone walls, a cistern etc.
Our larger chicks are starting to get too big for their brooder, so I usually go down there a few times a day to let em roam around. It's still too cold, wet, and muddy for them to go outside yet.
I was sitting there watching the little ones having a rugby match with a pine shaving, and I noticed our olders ones at my feet were all standing up real straight with their necks strained, looking at something behind me.
I was trying to figure out what it was they were staring at, and I start hearing... bzzt, bzzzt, bzzzzzzt. What the heck is that? My older chicks were also getting very nervous. I turn around and look... It was a live electrical wire sending out huge sparks.
I go darting up the stairs, and trying not to panic, and tell my DH... please come downstairs right away. He knew something was wrong though.
He's an electrical guy thankfully, and I show him this wire that's shooting sparks out all over the place. He's trying to find the breaker for this mystery wire. Im gathering up chickens, thinking the house is going to catch on fire.
Apparently, there was a live exposed wire going outside of our house under the deck. It was not attached to anything. All the rain, and snow we have been having was getting the wire wet, which caused it to spark like that. If our chicks had not been down there we probably would have never noticed this wire, and it probably would have caught our house on fire.
So,I am saying thanks to our chicks ( including our mean buff orp Ms. Dotty). They have earned extra treats today
Grapes, Oatmeal, and yogurt will be on the menu...
Bluemoon
Anyway, we have to some repairs to the building before the chicks can go in there, and the weather has not been cooperating these past couple of weeks. We currently have our chicks in our basement. It's a big basement, very old stone walls, a cistern etc.
Our larger chicks are starting to get too big for their brooder, so I usually go down there a few times a day to let em roam around. It's still too cold, wet, and muddy for them to go outside yet.
I was sitting there watching the little ones having a rugby match with a pine shaving, and I noticed our olders ones at my feet were all standing up real straight with their necks strained, looking at something behind me.
I was trying to figure out what it was they were staring at, and I start hearing... bzzt, bzzzt, bzzzzzzt. What the heck is that? My older chicks were also getting very nervous. I turn around and look... It was a live electrical wire sending out huge sparks.
I go darting up the stairs, and trying not to panic, and tell my DH... please come downstairs right away. He knew something was wrong though.
He's an electrical guy thankfully, and I show him this wire that's shooting sparks out all over the place. He's trying to find the breaker for this mystery wire. Im gathering up chickens, thinking the house is going to catch on fire.
Apparently, there was a live exposed wire going outside of our house under the deck. It was not attached to anything. All the rain, and snow we have been having was getting the wire wet, which caused it to spark like that. If our chicks had not been down there we probably would have never noticed this wire, and it probably would have caught our house on fire.
So,I am saying thanks to our chicks ( including our mean buff orp Ms. Dotty). They have earned extra treats today
Bluemoon
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