Author Topic: Close Shave (Read 4870 times)

SumatraJohnny · « **on:** June 16, 2011, 06:30:19 pm »

I couldn't get home from work at lunchtime today as I usually do. First port of call when I finally got in at 5:00 was the shed housing my week old cream legbar chicks to find that their drinker was dry. Not thinking too much about it (there was plenty there this morning and they couldn't have been out of water for more than an hour or so) I trundles off to fill it. When I came back there where three chicks lying on their sides with one wing spread out. The others all looked fine so I picked the three up and put them under another lamp in a small tray. Offered them one at a time to some water which they drank and immediately started to look better. When I went back to the main shed there were another four chicks lying in the same prone position and not moving. I thought I was going to pay the price for my carelessness but these four responded in the same way to a dropper of water. I ended up reviving 11 chicks in all from what looked like a nearly dead situation. I guess I got back just in the nick of time. I've found a bigger drinker now and believe me I'll be more careful in future. I've posted this tale to warn those who have chicks for the first time just how fragile they are, and how quickly they can be brought back from the brink. All 11 are now back in with the others and eating, drinking and sprinting about, showing no sign whatever of their near death experience, and it's only 6:30.

Sandy · « **Reply #1 on:** June 16, 2011, 07:59:25 pm »

Wow, that was close, glad they are all revived now!!!! Water dries up very quickly, I notice our pond going down daily until we get rain!!

little blue · « **Reply #2 on:** June 16, 2011, 09:12:55 pm »

ask for adoption leave, or take them to work with you?!!

good to hear they have recovered well

SumatraJohnny · « **Reply #3 on:** June 16, 2011, 09:55:15 pm »

Maybe i should invest in CCTV! You can't be with them 24/7 like mum would but you really have to take the responsibility seriously, don't you? I'm kicking myself over this lapse in diligence but I haven't lost a single chick out of over 100 hatched this year so far and I've learned a big lesson today. The "that'll do" mentality just won't do!

doganjo · « **Reply #4 on:** June 16, 2011, 10:08:58 pm »

Don't beat yourself up about it - we all learn by our mistakes! You've learnt a lesson today without any loss. That's certainly fortunate.

Cobra · « **Reply #5 on:** June 18, 2011, 03:55:05 pm »

If you didn't care yo would not show concern. As said don't beat yourself up, you did right by them. Cant watch 24/7

Ive made a few mistakes the last year and its all learning; like your self, all is well with no loss other than a bruised ego: We now have a built fail safe reminder, which is never a bad thing.

jaykay · « **Reply #6 on:** June 18, 2011, 04:29:30 pm »

So glad you got back in time

A bigger drinker sounds like a good solution for the future - and yes, we've all done things that have brought us out in cold sweats, hopefully you get away with them and so you learn

bamford6 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 18, 2011, 04:38:09 pm »

im glad they are all ok ...i do last thing att night and first thing in the morning .freezing water is a nother look warm water will freeze by 3 in the afternoon . i dont like folk to look after the stock they just dont get it 1 drinker dry thats the hens not laying for a week

melholly · « **Reply #8 on:** June 24, 2011, 12:53:11 pm »

Scary stuff! But as you say, you live and learn for sure!

CCTV, alarms, trip wires....the lengths we go to!!

Good Luck!
Mx

SumatraJohnny · « **Reply #9 on:** June 24, 2011, 07:48:26 pm »

Thanks all for the comments. I can report that the chicks are all doing fine. They were from eggs sent down to me by Bamford6 and I am so pleased that I didn't loose any of them. They are great looking little Cream Legbars and growing very fast. Lesson learned and now can't wait for my first blue eggs in twenty weeks or so!