Hi all. Discovered this website after googleing (chicken's life span), so I thought I'd join since I got drafted into raising chickens.
It all started when I found 4 newly hatched peeps on the road back home after work; 4 yellow fuz balls scamping along the shoulder. I stopped to check it out & it was just the 4 baby chickens, no mama, no nest, no eggs, no near by house; just 4 yellow fuzzy peeps... peeping. 2 of them immeadiately rushed toward me & tried to fly into my face when I knelt down. How could I say no.
So I put them in a box, went & bought some chick starter food & took them home. I put some paper in a plastic tub, a towel at one end, a small bowl of filtered water & chick food at the other. I set up a heater with a tray of water in front so the air wont get too dry. &... they went to pecking away at the food & pooping every where. 1 had a hurt foot though. The middle toe was discolored. I think it may have been an internal break.
The next day, after work, I checked on them & found 1 dead, the 2 that rushed at me when I found them almost doubled in size, & the 1 with the hurt foot wasn't walking around at all or eating.
I got it to drink some water & eat some chick food I wetted down into a paste, but it look like it wasn't going to make it. It's hurt toe looked worse. I snuggled the little chick until the end.
Now it's 7 days since I found them & the 2 surviving, indescriminant poopers, have trippled in size & are starting to grow genuine feathers. Very energetic little things. It looks like they'll be all white chickens. I've been keeping the room they are in at about 85 + degrees & everything seems A ok with these 2. So I guess I'll start building a fenced in coop for them in the back yard.
Goofy little birds. I feed, water, & hold them every day; yet every day goes like this.
Me: Walks in, looks at birds.
Birds: Looks at me curiously
Me: Reach hand in to grab birds so I can clean coop & water.
Birds: Run around like they are being chased by a fox.
Me: Clean coop & change water... Hold & pet birds before putting them back in clean coop.
Birds: Looks at me curiously... again
Me: Sprinkles chick feed on coop floor.
Birds: Looks at me curiously some more... then proceeds to pecking at the food.
Me: Reached hand in to pet birdies... "cute little peeps"
Birds: Run around like they are being chased by a fox.
Me:
then leaves room... sits down to watch some TV
Birds: Peeping up a storm as loud as they can.
Me: Walks back in room, looks at birds
Birds: Looks at me curiously... then proceeds to pecking at the food again
Me:
because they peep for me when I leave, after running away from me like I was a fox.
My new daily routine.
It all started when I found 4 newly hatched peeps on the road back home after work; 4 yellow fuz balls scamping along the shoulder. I stopped to check it out & it was just the 4 baby chickens, no mama, no nest, no eggs, no near by house; just 4 yellow fuzzy peeps... peeping. 2 of them immeadiately rushed toward me & tried to fly into my face when I knelt down. How could I say no.
So I put them in a box, went & bought some chick starter food & took them home. I put some paper in a plastic tub, a towel at one end, a small bowl of filtered water & chick food at the other. I set up a heater with a tray of water in front so the air wont get too dry. &... they went to pecking away at the food & pooping every where. 1 had a hurt foot though. The middle toe was discolored. I think it may have been an internal break.
The next day, after work, I checked on them & found 1 dead, the 2 that rushed at me when I found them almost doubled in size, & the 1 with the hurt foot wasn't walking around at all or eating.
Now it's 7 days since I found them & the 2 surviving, indescriminant poopers, have trippled in size & are starting to grow genuine feathers. Very energetic little things. It looks like they'll be all white chickens. I've been keeping the room they are in at about 85 + degrees & everything seems A ok with these 2. So I guess I'll start building a fenced in coop for them in the back yard.
Goofy little birds. I feed, water, & hold them every day; yet every day goes like this.
Me: Walks in, looks at birds.
Birds: Looks at me curiously
Me: Reach hand in to grab birds so I can clean coop & water.
Birds: Run around like they are being chased by a fox.
Me: Clean coop & change water... Hold & pet birds before putting them back in clean coop.
Birds: Looks at me curiously... again
Me: Sprinkles chick feed on coop floor.
Birds: Looks at me curiously some more... then proceeds to pecking at the food.
Me: Reached hand in to pet birdies... "cute little peeps"
Birds: Run around like they are being chased by a fox.
Me:
Birds: Peeping up a storm as loud as they can.
Me: Walks back in room, looks at birds
Birds: Looks at me curiously... then proceeds to pecking at the food again
Me:
My new daily routine.
