Monday, July 06, 2015

Operation save the chicks

I am not sure if you have been following the chicken saga at our farm. Here, I'll catch you up. Dad and number one watched YouTube videos about incubating chickens. It really is true, you can learn just about a thing from you tube. 
Then they created a homemade incubator out of a cooler.17 days later we watched Uno hatch. 
He was ugly. 
 He had two brothers or sisters hatch. They had medical issues. We tried to fix them.
We experienced a storm and we lost power for six hours which meant no heat lamp. We lost everyone but Uno. 
Then, a big surprise. A friend had eight chicks that neede a home! 
Uno was one happy chick again. We spent time trying to get them used to outside. 
They slept, a lot! Usually on top of each other.
So yesterday it was so hot, like it has been for days and they are growing feathers so they have started trying to jumpfly (totally my word) out of their tote. Operation chicken freedom to the rescue. We already had the tiny coop so we made a few quick repairs and viola, a new home for Uno and his Ocho friends!

Then we came inside for some respite from the heat and turned on the t.v. Huge storms and wind was predicted for the night. Yikes. We went about the day and in the back of my mind I wondered would they know to go into the house out of the rain? At about midnight I couldn't sleep I was worrying thought the storm so operation chicken storm was instituted. Dad and number one were not as enthused as I was. The took the tiny tote out and rescued the chicks. The poor cold babies spent the rest of the night under the lamp in the garage. The found them hiding under the ramp trying to stay dry, but they hadn't braved the elements to climb up to the shelter. So I am not sure if we would have lost them or not, but I will say they were anxious to return to the big house this morning. And the first thing they did?
Climb the ramp, those smart chicks!!! 
Very, happy, smart chicks. We started a new incubation so I am sure there will be more chicken stories to come:)

No comments: