Want to hear a good story about the hardiness of chicks? Last night I moved a broody and newly hatched chicks from behind a wood pile on the front porch, to my maternity ward pen...one hen, thirteen chicks, 2 dud eggs were taken away from the nest.
Went out to feed the kittens this morning and heard a loud peeping from the front porch....could it be? I left one behind?
I did.
Don't know how it happened but here's this big yellow chick sitting on a little ledge of wood in the wood pile, peeping his little heart out. He was warm and active...maybe the kittens slept with him? Doubt it, as he wasn't down in the nest but up on a ledge in the wood pile.... but it's a nice thought.
Temps were in the high 40s, low 50s last night, damp and chilly breeze blowing. No mama, no snuggly nest to bury into, just perched on a piece of firewood all night long. He wasn't chilled or shivering, was active and bright eyed. I put him down next to mama and he ran straight to her, snuggling and burrowing into her feathers until he got access to the underside and disappeared.
So, out of a clutch of 16 eggs, I have 14 vigorous chicks and had 2 clear eggs, unfertilized apparently. I thank God that He watched over that little one through the night and let me hear that loud voice this morning...can you imagine how horrible it would have been to find that little lost chick in a few days when we clear out that wood pile?
Went out to feed the kittens this morning and heard a loud peeping from the front porch....could it be? I left one behind?
I did.
Don't know how it happened but here's this big yellow chick sitting on a little ledge of wood in the wood pile, peeping his little heart out. He was warm and active...maybe the kittens slept with him? Doubt it, as he wasn't down in the nest but up on a ledge in the wood pile.... but it's a nice thought.
Temps were in the high 40s, low 50s last night, damp and chilly breeze blowing. No mama, no snuggly nest to bury into, just perched on a piece of firewood all night long. He wasn't chilled or shivering, was active and bright eyed. I put him down next to mama and he ran straight to her, snuggling and burrowing into her feathers until he got access to the underside and disappeared.
So, out of a clutch of 16 eggs, I have 14 vigorous chicks and had 2 clear eggs, unfertilized apparently. I thank God that He watched over that little one through the night and let me hear that loud voice this morning...can you imagine how horrible it would have been to find that little lost chick in a few days when we clear out that wood pile?
