They went peep, peep, peep all the way home!

We owed a neighbor some chickens because our dogs got into his chicken yard last summer. We saw an ad in the paper that Tractor Supply in Huntsville had some baby chicks, guaranteed to be pullets. I called to see if they still had some and if they would have them tomorrow, too. They had some tonight but didn't know how long they would last. They were mainly for Easter chicks. But, they weren't colored, you'd have to do that yourself, as if I would. So, we jumped into the truck and went to Huntsville and got there 10 minutes before they closed. We bought 12 of them. They put them in this little carryout box. They went peep, peep, peep all the way home. We took them right to the neighbors house. I sure didn't want them going peep, peep, peep in my house all night long. They sure were cute and fuzzy though. The store also had ducks and rabbits. Half of them probably won't survive Easter though. Such a shame what they do to chicks and bunnies around Easter.
dooley

 

I like ur story. I actually love little chickens' peep peep!
I agree.... I wouldn't want a box full of them at night. by my bed. Though...don't they also sleep at night?
The 5 little piglets we have right now are just GREAT!
LOL

 

Now there's a word I don't know in English. What do you call their mother???
Assuming not all chickens are born in incubators... as we here, still have a hen, sitting on eggs for a few weeks and then looking after the chickens.
(I was sooo scared of them when I was little- they are mean!)
So...anyway...I just realized I don't know if you've got a name for that special hen. We do. "Closca".
hehehe

 

Ah, Dooley, you make me so anxious to go get my chicks, but they won't be ready until June 1. They don't go "peep, peep" all night. They settle down into a little yellow fuzzy clump and sleep. I know, because the last batch of chicks we had I kept in the guest bedroom in a big container--sort of a post-incubator. I checked on them several times each night (nervous mama syndrome) so I know what they do at night. That was very good of you to replace your neighbor's hens. Many folks wouldn't have. You're a good neighbor!
Cal, I think the equivalent of "closca" is broody hen in English. A hen goes broody when she won't leave the nest except for very short forays to the food bowl, and she gets testy, rather hard to get along with. When she hatches her chicks she is very defensive and will even beat up a rooster if necessary!

 

That brings up childhood memories! Our entire den would be filled with chicks. It was a chore to keep their cages clean and water and feed trays full. About dark, we'd turn on their heating lamps and cover them up. Whew... finally quiet enough to hear the TV!
I remember getting some of those colored chicks for Easter. They'd look so pathetic when they grew up and lost most of their feathers. Sad really. But they were just going to end up in the frying pan anyhow.
Do they even still do that anymore? I sure hope not.

 

I bet your neighbor was happy though, that was nice of you to do that.

 

Calin you had me laughing!!!!! To this day I am afraid of Chickens because of an old hen I'll have to ask my sister if she's afraid too!
I bet they were cute Dooley. That was very nice of you to replace them. You can be my neighbor anytime!

 

For those of us raised in the concrete canyons of a large metropolis, chicks are on the pages of our first grade reader and unless we visit a farm, our next one is on a dinner plate. It is interesting to hear the other story, after the egg and before the dinner plate. I would never have pictured chicks in the living room or being nurtured by caring people or traveling home to a chorus of peeps. It's nice to hear stories that fill in the gaps and provide us with the real Americana.

Thank you everyone,

Jerry

 

I never saw them coloring the chicks...I believe they just dunked them in food coloring.

 

Jerry honey, if you really want to get filled in on the real Americana, come visit us at the farm for a few days. We'll take you fishing at the pond, let you clean the coop, and weed the vegetable garden to your heart's content. How would you like to help put a new roof on the workshop?

 

I do not think it is legal for stores to sell dyed or colored chicks and ducks anymore. You used to see them in the variety stores every Easter. I don't remember when it stopped. But, some people still dye them for their children for Easter. I know the humane society still gets rabbits a few weeks after Easter when they get tired of taking care of them. Chicks and ducks just get turned out to fend for themselves and end up as cat food.
The neighbors did tell us we didn't have to replace their chickens. We knew that but for us it was the right thing to do. They will take good care of them. They sell their excess eggs so we might reap some benefits, too. Fresh eggs are so much better than store eggs.
dooley

 

kudos to you Dooley! My sister went and got 25 chicks from a co-worker the other night and brought them to my house for overnight... I actually forgot that they were downstairs... (OOOps, it's a good thing that she was there to pick them up and take them home after she got off work.)
My neighbors dog got a few of my chickens last year and since I didn't catch it in the act, i couldn't say anything about it to them. You are a good neighbor Dooley.

 

Oh well, we still dye/color eggs. a tradition really, for EASTER.
Even last weekend a hen bit me! I was trying to get the egg from... u know... underneath... and she just bit me!
I think she was pretending to be a broody hen (!) ... but there was just a fresh egg under, and i could only tell by the specific noises she was making (like a mother protecting chickens).
Silly hen!