chicks

This is E. He is my nephew. He visited today, while we housed some chicks.

I found some farmer in Conklin who raised chickens. I talked him into letting me buy four chicks for $2 each. I told him I would bring them back the next day....after my kids got their pictures taken with them.


I thought it would be a fairly carefree experience.....sheltering the chicks for the night, I mean.

It wasn't.

I was up till 330 am. I was petrified that the chicks would die in my care.

I put them on the bathroom floor, in a cardboard box, under the heat lamp. I went in to check on them before I went to bed at 10pm. They were all huddled together and freezing. They needed to be closer to the heat lamp. I dragged the big ol' floor lamp I got for my birthday into the bathroom, and balanced the box on the top of the shade. I watched the tiny chicks for awhile. It was 1030pm.
Now, they were really close to the heat....and all cozy and warm.
I went back to bed, and tossed and turned, and wondered about the chicks. I got up to check on them at 1130pm. One chick was drinking from their water dish. One was standing in it. Two were lying and stretched out on their shavings and breathing really hard. They were too hot. Now what?
I got on-line to read about caring for chicks. It said they should be in 95 degree shelter. I guess the temperature was ok, but it also said they should never be without food. What do you feed chicks? It said to give them commercial feed. I didn't have any. I figured they could eat shortcake....crumbled up. I sprinkled it all over their box. The chicks jumped around and pecked at the ground (and each other) like crazy. I went to bed. It was 1230am.
I lay in bed and wondered if they were going to peck each other to death. What if the sugar turned them into psycho-chicks?! Or what if that much sugar was bad for their digestive systems and they went into cardiac arrest?
Maybe bread crumbs would be better. I got out my food processor. (It was now around 130am.) I sprinkled bread all over their shavings and tried to pick out the shortcake. I read more about chicks and how they carry diseases, so I cleaned every surface they may have touched, including the entire kitchen counter and sink. It was 230am. I went to bed. I couldn't sleep. What if the chicks died before tomorrow?
I got up and picked clothes for the kids to wear for their pictures. (You'd think I would have already done that, wouldn't you?)
When I finally went to bed the last time, it was 330-something. I must have finally fallen asleep, because I woke up the next morning to peeping chicks. All still alive.
I was tired the next day, and very glad to bring the chicks back to their experienced owners!