Venting...Small children and incubators...

[chubbydog811]

I really need to vent to chicken people about this...

My sister is up visiting with her 4 kids...You can already see where this is going..
She has a little one that is probably over a year old now, and of course, she found my incubator. As soon as the came, I told them the importance of not touching ANYTHING in my "chick room" or I was going to be crazy angry about it...Well guess what?
They have been doing good so far, but then today issues started...I started a summer job today, so I checked it before I left, when I got home, and a few times after (I have chicks hatching today).
When I checked it this morning, since the AC is on in the house, temp was a little low, so I turned it up a little when I woke up, and checked to make sure it was good 2 hours later before I left. I have been putting it off, hoping that we could turn the AC off, but no such luck, so I just turned it up a 1/4 click (I know my incubators better than I know myself sometimes...that was more than enough time to wait.) I checked it when I got home...And the temp was at 107!!! She told me that I have chicks running loose in the incubator, so she went to check it, and the kid must have "bumped" it to turn it up...Its an LG so you know how the thermostats are! This incubator has been running at the same temp for the last 3 months...There is no chance that it would randomly jump to 107 for no reason...Especially considering I hurried and turned it down, and it went right back to 99 and is still holding strong.
I have no idea how long it was like that, but luckily, the already hatched chicks and the chicks that had pipped were ok. Later, she told me that the kid had tripped over the cord and pulled it out...I was FREAKING OUT! Luckily it was only my thermometer that she pulled out, but still...So I figured I would check the humidity while I was there...I look at the front of my incubator, and it was COVERED with pink marker (you can imaging what was going through my head at the time)...
I ran down, blood boiling, and told my sister about this...She just calmly said "oh, I know. She did that a while ago"...I was SOOOO angry!!! Seriously! They are guests in this house, and she cant keep track of her kids after I told her, and her kids, not to touch it...But to let her go as far as marking up my incubator, and not even disciplining her for it???

I am still angry...I told them the next time my incubators get touched, I'm going to get very angry and actually yell about it.
I know, I know...You all are saying, well, you shouldn't have left your incubators in a room that a small kid is in...But you know, I have them on a 3 foot high table, tucked in a corner where no one can see them. The better question would be, why was she leaving her kid unattended in a room that I said was off limits?

GRRR...Anyway, sorry, I had to get the out before I went crazy about it...

I'm sure you guys have experienced this more than once?

 

[Cattitude]

Is there a lock on the door to the chick room, or can you put them in a room that can be locked?

Yes, some folks get all huffy (especially relatives) if you start locking thing up, but I maintain that if they can't respect your property, then you are justified in putting things behind locked doors.

 

[redhen]

I would lock it up...
And i would be very upset also.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

Sounds like you aren't in your own house: are you both in your parents' home?
If you are in your own home, I'd lay down the law or they can go home. If it's your parents', go to them. Someone should lay the law down to those kids.
But then again, I'm known as the evil grandmother, too. At least in my house, the kids listen. Or they sit... sometimes for a very long time.

 

[tracyrene]

How frustrating! I had a friend come over with a little one today....she wanted to hold my new chicks. My heart sunk! I told her they were all sleeping!

 

[SuziQ991]

The same thing happened to me and I was very angry. It was a friend that was visiting and her grandson. He turned it down on the last day of lockdown. Most of them had hatched but I lost 4. Ohhhhhh I was so mad! So I can relate to your anger. Yep lock them up.....the chicks......or the kids LOL

 

[hudsonhousechicks]

woops. posted twice!

 

[hudsonhousechicks]

You poor thing. I don't think that you are being at all unreasonable. I work at a veterinary clinic and have seen my fair share of injuries to pets by small children. The most extreme was a kitten who had been put into an aquarium and that was AFTER the kids had dumped a caustic chemical cleaner into the water. Dead fish, caustic burns to kitten so severe it died. I'm surprised the father brought the kitten to the vet at all, more surprised that he was so frank about what happened and disgusted that he found it amusing. Small children and pets need to be supervised. I hope your chicks will be okay.

 

[dieselgrl48]

I feel ya truely.My grandson which will be 2 in aug. Live's with us full time.Right now I have 2 LG's in my bedroom since I lost my Sportsman last fall.Boy I wish I had it back.Curious as he is and I know it's not his fault he's a Very smart baby.He discovered plug's a few month's ago and my turner was unplugged for 2 day's before I discovered it.He is doing a little better about touching the bator's and stuff but he know'
s where CSHICKIE come from.My oldest grandson is 6 and I was putting water in LG once before when I used them I think he was like 3 then He was left inside for 5 min's and he Said gwanny I watered your chick's lol.He had poured his hawiaan punch drink in the water tray's lol.He fed duckie's for Us once too about 15lb's of corn on ground.

. did get chick's out of that run but that bator was Sadly stained.I know it's hard trying to teach kid's about stuff they aren't around everyday.Right now trying to teach Damien fragile egg's are and VERY EASY. He is starting to come around more with the bird's too after his 2 roo attack's.It's Up to your sister to teach her kid's about not touching thing's without asking and if they have question's about something to ask.Depend's on their age.Older children can comprehend dont touch it! maybe lol sorry.Babie's and toddler's can't so they need to be monitored if they get into stuff no use getting angry etc.It was your sister's responsibility to make sure they weren't messing with the bator's.Hopefully some will hatch for you.

 

[joe17]

Ohh I completely understand you! My mom babysits six little rug rats and they tend to go in my room often for some strange reason! I always have my brinsea full of chicks hatching and my brooder full of chicks too. They never did anything to hurt them...yet! They sometimes go near the brooder and start yelling CHICKEN! and then all the chicks freak out. I think I panic more than the chicks lol