- Jul 6, 2010
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Back in the first week of the month I got an order of 3 dozen day-old pullets. Because there were already some month-old pullets in the brooder pen in the coop I put these in a big furniture box covered with hardware cloth in the back cellar with a brooder plate. No problem, all the chicks were fine, growing well and feathering out. Last week I moved the older birds out of the brooder pen, cleaned it and got it ready for the new ones. Yesterday I moved them.
Then the problem started.
I first removed the brooder plate, waterer and feed trough. As I was doing this one chick hopped to the top of the plate and out of the box. (Now this is our back cellar, basically a storage area but has a clothes dryer, small gas stove and refrigerator plus boxes, crates and stuff sitting over about 2/3rds of the floor.) I knew it was going to be a job finding the one bird so let her go while I took care of the rest.
I loaded the chicks into a box, counting them as I did. I made two trips to the coop--21 in the first group, 15 in the second, While collecting the second group I thought 2 more chicks hopped out of the brooder box.--the hardware cloth fell in and they used it as a launching pad Now that made 3 dozen chicks moved but the hatchery (McMurray) sent me an extra RIR and NH plus the "exotic" chick. So I'm missing 3.
To make a long story a bit shorter I spent the next 3 hrs, picking up boxes, moving appliances, down on the floor with a flashlight and fishing under/behind everything with a broom. Right away I found one chick--the first one that escaped--but worked most of the rest of the room without finding either of the other two. Finally, behind a cabinet I saw some chick poo , moved the cabinet and found another amidst some papers that had fallen off the cabinet but that was it.
There is no way she could have gotten out of the room unless she went out as I was coming in/out since, otherwise, the door was closed. Now either I miscounted as I moved them or there is a chick hiding in the cellar someplace. I really don't see how unless she got inside one of the appliances. I clucked and peeped hoping she'd answer, I put out some feed and water and a small plate brooder hoping she'd come to that. Nothing. I've pretty much taken everything off the floor that I can lift/move and flash-lighted every nook and cranny, It's driving me nuts.
In one respect I should know better--even at 3 weeks they can jump 3 feet in the air but I guess I wasn't thinking about that. At any rate if anyone has further ideas let me know or at least use this as a cautionary tale. BTW, I could catch and recount the chicks in the brooder but I don't know as, after yesterday's trauma, I want to put them through that again.
Then the problem started.
I first removed the brooder plate, waterer and feed trough. As I was doing this one chick hopped to the top of the plate and out of the box. (Now this is our back cellar, basically a storage area but has a clothes dryer, small gas stove and refrigerator plus boxes, crates and stuff sitting over about 2/3rds of the floor.) I knew it was going to be a job finding the one bird so let her go while I took care of the rest.
I loaded the chicks into a box, counting them as I did. I made two trips to the coop--21 in the first group, 15 in the second, While collecting the second group I thought 2 more chicks hopped out of the brooder box.--the hardware cloth fell in and they used it as a launching pad Now that made 3 dozen chicks moved but the hatchery (McMurray) sent me an extra RIR and NH plus the "exotic" chick. So I'm missing 3.
To make a long story a bit shorter I spent the next 3 hrs, picking up boxes, moving appliances, down on the floor with a flashlight and fishing under/behind everything with a broom. Right away I found one chick--the first one that escaped--but worked most of the rest of the room without finding either of the other two. Finally, behind a cabinet I saw some chick poo , moved the cabinet and found another amidst some papers that had fallen off the cabinet but that was it.
There is no way she could have gotten out of the room unless she went out as I was coming in/out since, otherwise, the door was closed. Now either I miscounted as I moved them or there is a chick hiding in the cellar someplace. I really don't see how unless she got inside one of the appliances. I clucked and peeped hoping she'd answer, I put out some feed and water and a small plate brooder hoping she'd come to that. Nothing. I've pretty much taken everything off the floor that I can lift/move and flash-lighted every nook and cranny, It's driving me nuts.
In one respect I should know better--even at 3 weeks they can jump 3 feet in the air but I guess I wasn't thinking about that. At any rate if anyone has further ideas let me know or at least use this as a cautionary tale. BTW, I could catch and recount the chicks in the brooder but I don't know as, after yesterday's trauma, I want to put them through that again.
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I was pretty sure the one I saw go out was black so this confirms it. What surprised me was that I never saw her again in spite of leaving food and water out. BTW this is the first hatchery chick I've lost since I was a teenager and that one my dad accidentally set a big waterer on. Also McM was 100% on my order.
