Boy am I glad for the Internet and special topic forums. I don't have any chickens of my own right now but I remember when my cousins bought a day old chick at the Lucasville, OH swap meet back when I was about middle school age. And when I think back on it I am shocked that little chick survived.
My cousins, all younger than 10, got themselves a little day old chick which the seller gave to them in a little paper bag. It peeped and peeped and peeped sliding around in that bag and so I felt bad and held it cupped in my hands instead, which I was allowed to do because I was older and deemed responsible. The poor little thing hushed up and went to sleep, its fluff getting damp from my clammy palms.
We had seen all the chick sellers using brooders but somehow it just didn't set in with us that this sort of thing was necessary. I don't know how. So a day old chick ended up spending the night in a hamster cage in a 75 degree house. It peeped and peeped. Even though I was perhaps 12 didn't mean I was completely senseless. I figured chickie was cold. I couldn't find a hot water bottle and so I filled up a Ziploc bag with warm water and set it in a plastic bowl for support. And then I set chickie on top of it thinking it would be like a little nest. I am amazed I didn't drown that animal. 0.0' I am amazed I didn't think of a table lamp.
And somehow the critter made it to adulthood, living with my young cousins. She was a white hen of some variety. She always peeped and never clucked and she was extemely tame from being handled by young children. I don't think she made it beyond a couple years old.
Hooray for the Internet and the fact that I have no excuse to do something dumb to some poor chicken if I ever get any.
Well, anyone else want to share some tales of blatant screw-ups in chicken keeping? It doesn't have to be your own.
My cousins, all younger than 10, got themselves a little day old chick which the seller gave to them in a little paper bag. It peeped and peeped and peeped sliding around in that bag and so I felt bad and held it cupped in my hands instead, which I was allowed to do because I was older and deemed responsible. The poor little thing hushed up and went to sleep, its fluff getting damp from my clammy palms.
We had seen all the chick sellers using brooders but somehow it just didn't set in with us that this sort of thing was necessary. I don't know how. So a day old chick ended up spending the night in a hamster cage in a 75 degree house. It peeped and peeped. Even though I was perhaps 12 didn't mean I was completely senseless. I figured chickie was cold. I couldn't find a hot water bottle and so I filled up a Ziploc bag with warm water and set it in a plastic bowl for support. And then I set chickie on top of it thinking it would be like a little nest. I am amazed I didn't drown that animal. 0.0' I am amazed I didn't think of a table lamp.
And somehow the critter made it to adulthood, living with my young cousins. She was a white hen of some variety. She always peeped and never clucked and she was extemely tame from being handled by young children. I don't think she made it beyond a couple years old.
Hooray for the Internet and the fact that I have no excuse to do something dumb to some poor chicken if I ever get any.
Well, anyone else want to share some tales of blatant screw-ups in chicken keeping? It doesn't have to be your own.