Day 7. 21 Chicks.
With only seven days under our belt, my initial excitement over the "oo oo cute little baby chics" has waned. They do not liked to be touched. They do not like to be held. They basically scurry around and eat and drink and poop and then eat and drink and poop some more. Unlike a dog, which is the animal I am most familiar with, there is no recognition of their part that I really even exist. I open the door and say "HI CHICKS" and they enter into a chirping frenzy and huddle together in fear. There is no tail wagging or happy kisses. They just know that something comes in and out and replenishes their food and water and then causes a big silver thing to come in and move the earth (aka the garden trowel we use to clean out the poopy shavings). Occassionally, one of their kin is removed and never returns. Am I god to these chickens?!
Which leads to our 21 chicks, down from 22. The Book recommends that, along with replenishing food and water and cleaning out the shavings, you sit and observe your chicks. This way, you can tell if there are drafts in the corral, if they are too hot or just general behavior. You also realize that there is indeed a pecking order. One of the red chicks was mute. He looked the same as all of the others. However, when his beak moved, nothing came out. I kept an eye on him...and so did the other chicks. In the course of one day, they discovered the weakling and started to peck. His little beak was bloody. Other chicks would move by him, sense his deformity and peck at his bloody beak. One by one, they ALL did it. So he was removed and culled. Was this fun? No. But given that he would have literally been pecked to death, it was definitely the humane thing to do...I hope?! [Again, I emphasize that I am not the Culler.]
The remaining 21 are growing up fast! Already, the fir around their wings is being replaced by feathers. And they are testing their wings! I wouldn't say they are "flying," but they are working on an extended hop. Their poop is now more like solid pellets rather than..well..the runs. They are also starting to strut. Doin' the chicken dance!
Signing off from the farm,
LadyG
3 comments:
You have recreated middle school in your coop. Everyone looks basically the same, minus little differences, and spends his or her day clucking around, pecking at weaker chicks. Seriously, I think you need to look into this as a grand metaphor for the human condition.
profound insight, my dear friend. do you think there will be gang warfare? or will the chicks host a homecoming and elect a king and queen? dude. wanna come and play god with me? we can make sure the ugly ones win..CALL IN THE CULLER!
YES!!!
Chick Homecoming. I fucking love it. I am going to make you little chick-sized tiaras and we can decorate the corral with streamers. SNORT.
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