Sunday, March 17, 2013

Chicks:Stressful Day

First of all, the poor babies slept outside, on the ground. I went out there yesterday just before sunset and put them all in the house. I thought maybe they just hadn't figured out what the ramp leading up to the door, that they had been playing on all day, was for.
As soon as I got out of the coop, they all flew back outside and hunkered down in a corner and went to sleep.
When I got up this morning they were all in the coop, scratching food out all over the floor and slinging hay everywhere. Ok, cool. They had figured it out. The nice warm light was in there, the food, the water. This is where we should be.
Yeah,no!
Just before dark, a mocking bird gets caught inside the wired pen off to the side, and starts throwing itself at the pen, trying to find a way out.
I opened up the top and chased it around, to no avail. The poor thing was scared to death and couldn't find the gaping hole in the top I had created for it.
I finally decided I was going to have to cut the whole top off for this poor little bird and went over to the shed to get the wire cutters, PB followed me back to help and when we got there,poof! It was gone.
Ok, cool!
Yeah, no!
Somehow it got back into the big coop and was dive bombing the poor chicks, freaking out beating itself agains the wire trying to get out.
That got the chicks chirping and hopping and running. So I went and opened the door, after ten more minutes of beating itself against the wire it finally saw that gaping hole we call a door and flew out!
Ok, cool!
Yeah, no!
I'm sitting on the back porch and I hear them all start chirping real loud.
These have always been the quietest bunch of chicks. Never making any kind of racket. So I go out there and they are all huddled up in the middle of the yard.
I went in to see what the fussing was about and they all come running huddled up around my feet, chirping.
Then I hear it. A low flying jet liner that most people would call a bumble bee. This sucker was as big as the palm of my hand. Granted I have small hands but still.
Well, open the door all you want, that sucker ain't going nowhere till he feels like it.
And of course he has to come check me out because I'm so sweet he thinks I'm a flower;0) so I'm bobbin and weaving, the chicks are hollering and trying to stay on my feet.
Yes a video camera would have won us the 10,000.00 dollar prize I'm sure!
Finally, the stupid thing flies away and we are all clear. Cool, right?
Yeah, no.
They are so freaked out by it all they are running around in one big feathery huddle, like chickens with their heads cut off! (I know right!)
So I have to get PB to come inside the pen and block the door, and pick them up one by one, let them nuzzle my neck till it calmed down, then hand it to PB to put under the nice warm light.
Jeeze!

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