TheBanyanTree: A Lotta Chicks

[NancyIee at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/24/06 7:21:11 PM Eastern Standard Time, paul at remsset.com 
writes:
Did you order from http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com ?
Paul, yes, I did.  I ordered 30 . and one free one, and got 50-something.  I 
lost two, one little Polish Black that seemed very tiny and did not make it in 
the crowd, and one of the Red Stars who was too dumb to get out from under 
the bedding.  The free ones are all males.  Fortunately, I ordered all femals 
Rhose Island Reds, and .well, the Polish came "straight-run"  I don't know what 
my "free" one is, though it's dark with brown markings and bigger than all the 
others.Mine still reside int he sunroom, in totes. Soon, I will be adding a 
third tote, since the chicks are getting bigger and taking up all the space.  I 
use the heat light only at night, now, the sunroom gets enough sun-heat 
during the days.  Actually, I didn't use a heat bulb, but only a 100 watt bulb, 
which seemed to keep things warm enough.  I didn't want cooked chicks.

Mine are getting tame, since I mess with them a couple times a day.  I had 
them on chips, but found newspaper good enough. The chips kept getting in the 
waterers and clogging up the works.  The paper stinks when wet, but it's a free 
comodity, after I've read the news. 

I plan on moving them all to the barn-chick-coop when all the feathers are in 
and before they think the house is their permenent abode. I agree that I 
don't care to eat my own "pets" but all those Red Stars are male, and I have had 
enough of attack-roosters.  My Rhode Island Reds of last year were 
"straight-run" and so more than half wee roosters. . killer roosters.

I sold them to the guy in town who does nails . .They were Korean and wanted 
real range chickens for their dinners.  I found another couple that were 
roosters, and offered them to the same folks.  "NOO-O-O-O!!!" they said.  "They 
MEAN!!." and they refused to talke the rest.  I ooved the early, a.m. crowing, 
but hated being attacked every day.

I sent them to the local animal auction (rather than eat them)  where they 
were  bought by someone who l-o-v-e-d the sound of their crowing.  I sent the 
length of PVC pipe along for free.  (I used the pipe to proptect myself when 
they lived here.)

Good luck with your chicks.  (I have one that hops on my shoulder when I feed 
them, ala parrot-style.)  


NancyLee