One day last week (Wednesday, I think) I went downstairs to get, ironically enough, chicken out of the freezer for dinner and discovered one of our little chicks hanging upside down with its leg stuck between two metal bars (firewood rack holding the heat lamp).
Lily was upstairs putting our her boots, which I've made mandatory for visiting with the chicks as the wood chips are not quite as fresh and clean as they were last week.
I scanned the plastic wading pool and realized that it was her beloved friend, Cocoa, who was injured, and I thought possibly dead.
I yelled up to Lily to please wait at the top of the stairs and as I did that Cocoa moved a bit. And that is when my first official chick rescue began.
Well, almost.
I kind of hopped around in a circle for a minute or so trying to figure out what the heck I was supposed to do, wanting to call someone (I have no idea who) to help, but realizing, once again (though it still never ceases to amaze me), that I am the Mama. I'm the one in charge who is supposed to remain calm and know what to do in emergencies.
I stopped hopping in place and flailing my arms and took a deep breath.
I was able to slip her leg out (without really looking at it because I was afraid it was going to be broken and horrible to see) and she snuggled right in to my chest. I brought her upstairs and explained what happened to Lily who suggested that we needed to give her Rescue Remedy and lots of love energy, which we did.
Lily examined Cocoa's leg and reported that it was not broken, just badly sprained and that she needed to be snuggled by her best friend Lily.
After about a half an hour, we brought her back down with her friends, where she hopped around on one foot for the rest of the day.
By the next morning she was walking, gingerly, on the leg and within a couple of days, there was no sign of the injury.
All was quiet with the chicks for a couple of days. I started noticing that taking care of them (fresh water and food twice a day) was becoming a bit of a chore for Lil.
But then they started to change. Virtually overnight, they went from cute fluffy little chicks to awkward teenager chicks, which apparently Lily finds even more beautiful than the fluffy babes.
They have lost most of their soft fuzzy feathers and their new feathers are showing their distinctive markings.
They are starting to attempt flying more regularly and are beginning to take interest in what is beyond the blue plastic walls containing them.
This weekend we will move them out to an empty stall in the barn where they will have even more room to roam and partake in their teenage chicken antics!
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Spring Peepers: Week Two (I was writing about the chicks on my other blog, before I started this one, so now I'm just copying to 'catch up'.)
I thought I was going to report that "Mother Hen" was losing interest in the chicks, but I was wrong (as you will see when you get to the last two pictures).
As I had anticipated, raising chicks in the living room ran its course in a week. When I walked in today the odor of wet bedding nearly knocked me over. And then there was the small detail that our little birds learned how to "fly the coop" and were roosting on the arms of our chairs (!).
So this afternoon I set up their new home, a cracked plastic kids' wading pool with our firewood ring holding the heat lamp, all of which is located in the basement!
It's a pretty good set up if I do say so myself! ;-)
Over the week, Lily has connected with two chicks in particular, Sarah and Cocoa. She really doesn't acknowledge the other four fuzzy babies in the group. Just, her best friends, Sarah and Cocoa.
Here's a shot of Lil pulling Sarah around in a tiny wagon. (I'm telling you, I was there, I really think the chick was okay with this.)
Cocoa, of course, wanted a ride too!
And then after not really paying much attention to the chicks the last few days, here is Lil *in* the chick's new swimming pool home (I had just put the fresh bedding in so it was nice and clean in there ;-).
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And the night John brought them home...
John surprised us Friday night by coming home with six, week-old chicks. (He had to stop by the tractor supply store to get a new wheel for our lawnmower cart and couldn't resist the cute little peepers!)
What's in there?
Wow!
Settling them in to their temporary home (a recycling bin in our living room!)
Lily is in love!
I have to dig out my chicken book. It's been a couple of years since we've had chicks. I think they'll hang out in our living room for another week or so, then move down into the basement for a week or so, then out to the barn (separate from the "big girls") for a few more weeks.
Lily, of course, is totally loving her role as "mother hen". She's been doting on her chicks -- making sure they have fresh food and water and lots of love. And Quinn (who is turning two in a couple of weeks!!) is doing very well learning how to be "gentle-gentle" with our new friends.
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