Saturday 30 June 2012

Adventure

The other day I let the chicks outside in the run. The run does not have a back to it so I propped up a board and hung a towel over the opening I didn't think that they would be able to fly up onto the board.   So the chicks were outside and I sat inside reading to my Mallory and Seamus. Every once in a while I would look up through the window to see if the chicks were okay. While, we were all pretty engrossed in our latest story (Tintin) and had not looked outside in a while.  I decided that I should probably peek out the window again but when I did horrible sight met my eyes.  2 of the chicks were perched on the wooden board and one of them was in the house. But the yellow one was nowhere in site!!!! The kids and I ran outside and I popped the 2 chicks back in with the third. And then looked around for the yellow chick. Thinking that she couldn't get far but she was nowhere in site. I looked all around the run wondering what had happened. Figaro was inside Poppy and Deme where in the coop and it was the middle of the day! I was freaking out frantically running around the run when I finally gave up I stopped freaking out and we were all quite. Then I heard something: peep, peep.  I told the kids to be quite and listened again. Peeeep, Peeep. There it was again a chicks distress call. I ran in the direction I heard it and looked into our forest. There was the yellow chick standing on a little log and looking worried , slightly wet (the forest was damp) but otherwise okay.   I quickly stepped into the forest,  scooped the chick up I carried here back to the run. She ran back to her friends and then they all started pecking around like nothing had happened. But for me a Miracle had.

--Zoë

Monday 4 June 2012

Pics of the chicks!!!



Black Australorp 
Black Australorp 



Silver Laced Wyandotte 

Silver Laced Wyandotte



Ameraucana 1
Ameraucana 1 
Ameraucana 2



Ameraucana 2 


--Zoë

p.s if you have any name ideas please comment :)



The trip


Performance Poultry (PP)
On Thursday I get a phone call: "..."Just wanted to let you know that you can come pick up you chicks whenever you want." Okay I say, after telling my Mom. When is the latest I could pick them up? "Saturday at twelve"
 "We will come friday at around 10am " I say.
My mom and I flurry into activity, me setting up the brooder my Mom phoning Nana and Gerrit to see if we (Rachel, Bronwyn, Mallory, Seamus and I) could stop by there house after we pick up the chicks. Jobs complete, we got to bed. We wake up on Friday at 5:45am pile into our van and drive off.
We make good time and turn off the highway just after 9am and follow our google directions to Performance Poultry. Turning onto Victoria road and I tell my mom, "You have to give Performance Poultry credit for finding the most middle of nowhere place." I say, trying to lighten the mood I am in a mix of Excitment and stress. A few minutes later my sister calls out "Number 1848, there it is" We drive right past the drive but my mom turns our car around, and we drive up the drive way it is only around 9:20am.  I see a white house, a small barn and chicken pens. PP has a chicken coop and pen per chicken breed. I appreciated the fact that they didn't keep there birds in a building or barn they could get fresh air and act like chickens, scratching and pecking around. I knock on the door and walk into the house calling to see if anyone is there getting no answer I walk back outside and Rachel says that she just saw someone entering the barn. A minute later the person comes out. It is Jason Cain the owner of PP.  I tell him I have come to pick up the chicks and he goes and collects them. I pay for the chicks and a kilogram of chick feed, thank him and we are on our way. The chicks are soooo cute!!!!!! I have four: 2 Ameraucanas, 1 Silver laced Wyandotte and 1 black Australorp.
We make our way back on to the highway and drive to Nana and Gerrit's.  When we get there Gerrit finds an amazing light to provide warmth for the chicks we set the box of chicks under the light and put food and water in the box for them.  The chicks run around eat, drink, poop and sleep behaving properly. After an super good lunch we drive home with the chicks in the box and a hot water bottle underneath the box to keep them warm. Once we get into Ottawa we pick up Grant and Jesse from work. And I get dropped off at the weight room, I have training to do! When I get home I check the chicks for pasting. When chicks get really excited they can get dried feces stuck on there bums, which can lead to death. The chicks seem healthy and happy. I go to bed relieved that they are all right.

--Zoë