Yesterday afternoon around 2:30, I had the chicks outside in an exercise pen on the grass. I quickly drove to get my kids from the bus stop, came home and let the dogs out. When the dogs came out, they spooked the chicks, and three of them managed to squeeze through the openings of the ex. pen and escape! I caught two, but the third, whose name was "Black Magic", lol, was nowhere to be found. We searched high and low. All 4 of my kids were looking in the yard, the woods, under places they thought the chick could be hiding, but we never found him.
I checked throughout the afternoon and evening and listened for peeping, but heard nothing. After one last search at about 10:00 last night, with my husband searching, too, we gave up and went to bed. Where we live, there are raccoons, fishers, foxes, coyotes, and dogs and cats roaming at any given time. I knew the poor little thing would be eaten during the night if it hadn't been already
This morning, I went out and looked for the chick again. Being the blind eyed optimist that I am, I was hopeful, but he was nowhere to be seen
I was home all day waiting for an important phone call (which never came; I hate when that happens!) and I kept the other chicks inside because it was quite cool today.
I got the kids off the bus, and decided to bring the chicks outside for a little while, while it was still sunny so they could "stretch their wings". At about 4:00 this afternoon, my middle son came running over to me yelling "Mom! I found "Black Magic"!!! In total disbelief I followed him to where he said he found him, and there was the chick, walking around like everything was fine! I am still in shock that (s)he came home!!!! After missing for more than 24 hours, going all night in temps that got down around 40 degrees, with no food and no water, and somehow managing to elude the nighttime predators (and us in our search, lol) "Magic" is home!!!!!!!
He/she ate and drank right away and is now happily pecking away at the ground with the rest of the flock.
I checked throughout the afternoon and evening and listened for peeping, but heard nothing. After one last search at about 10:00 last night, with my husband searching, too, we gave up and went to bed. Where we live, there are raccoons, fishers, foxes, coyotes, and dogs and cats roaming at any given time. I knew the poor little thing would be eaten during the night if it hadn't been already
This morning, I went out and looked for the chick again. Being the blind eyed optimist that I am, I was hopeful, but he was nowhere to be seen
I was home all day waiting for an important phone call (which never came; I hate when that happens!) and I kept the other chicks inside because it was quite cool today.
I got the kids off the bus, and decided to bring the chicks outside for a little while, while it was still sunny so they could "stretch their wings". At about 4:00 this afternoon, my middle son came running over to me yelling "Mom! I found "Black Magic"!!! In total disbelief I followed him to where he said he found him, and there was the chick, walking around like everything was fine! I am still in shock that (s)he came home!!!! After missing for more than 24 hours, going all night in temps that got down around 40 degrees, with no food and no water, and somehow managing to elude the nighttime predators (and us in our search, lol) "Magic" is home!!!!!!!
He/she ate and drank right away and is now happily pecking away at the ground with the rest of the flock.
