2003-05-14 - 4:05 p.m.

Frankenstein chicks

Quote for the day: �Its alive!�

-Movie Frankenstein

My thoughts: Ok honestly we didn�t take chicken parts and paste them together one stormy night unless your thinking about the chicken stew I am making tonight? I could only hope we get rain too with the storm!

Last year was the first time we got these large chicks delivered to our post office. They were already a day old and they looked like they were at least a week old. Big yellow downy chicks they were so cute.

They looked almost like the regular laying hens but weeks later you can tell the difference who was who. At first husband put these bands around their legs to identify them but that was not necessary we found out later. They are special bred to get large very fast. We also found out that you cant put them together with the other chicks as they get older.

These chicks start to develop feathers faster and the other chicks think it�s a worm I think coming up. They peck at it, and peck at it. If you didn�t no, chickens can be some nasty critters if you don�t watch them. They will about eat anything. Including another chicken. That�s why you have to keep them with a lot of room and plenty fed. The chicken production places debeak them, a painful experience but others wise they would harm each other. Another reasons why to buy fresh if possible people!

Some people just don�t want to know what they eat, how they are raised. I could give you details but I better not. �Ignorance is bliss� quote I heard again recently from the movie Matrix. Which by the way I wouldn�t want to know if we were in a Matrix unless of course I could change my body details hehe oh oh and make me a cute red head too!

They have big feet and just like the movie Frankenstein they are not overly bright. We found this out the first few days we let them free range with the other chicks. It was a hot blistering day. I didn�t go out much about that time cause I was pregnant with Tommy. The chicken coop was only a few feet away from a very large tree.

Most the chickens had made there way out, laying and taking a sand bath in the shade of the tree, all but 3 of the Frankenstein chicks. They instead huddled in one corner of the chicken coop right next to the door and died from the heat. Their little heads crammed in the only shade they could find.

Now for our next batch we will have them in our new hoop chicken coop. By the time they are ready the other incubator layers will be ready to be with the other chickens. I will move the hoop chicken coop once a day till they get used to it then I will move then twice a day. It�s not very heavy. It�s like scooting a sofa. As soon as I can find the other film to my digital camera I will take a few pictures and put it in my yahoo photo page to let y�all see. They will like it there. They will be safe and I can watch them a lot better.

The Royal Bee Keeper - diaryrings