bcorps
Songster
This poor little girl has been through Hell.
As some of you may remember, I have 6 Buff Orpingtons, of which only one was supposed to be a cockerel, but instead I got 3.
So to make things right, the hatchery agreed to send me 3 pullets for free.
Not wanting to raise less than 5-6 chicks at a time, I ordered 3 more.
To mix things up, I ordered 3 Black Australorps and 3 Silver-Laced Wyandottes.
Here is where the heartbreak starts.
When I picked them up from the post office yesterday, there was very little peeping going on....obviously just one chick. The other 6 (they had included a free one as well) were stone cold dead from the 37-degree weather they traveled through. (Later I would email them about this, and they apologized, saying they must have forgotten to put a heat pack in with them(...appreciate the apology, but I try not to think of what a horrible death it must be to freeze right after being born). They are refunding everything, but as I said, that's not really the outcome I was hoping for.
Back to the chick...that was one weird ride home. I had a feeling that she wouldn't make it unless I got her warm INSTANTLY. So I held her with one hand while driving, with the heat cranked up to max, even though it was 65 degrees outside. I was sweating, but who cares, right? She jumped onto my chest, climbed my shirt, and tucked herself under my shirt collar under my chin, and was NOT budging. I was in no position to refuse.
Somehow, when I got her into my aquarium brooder, she was still alive. Grumpy, but alive. She loves the heat lamp, and I did get her eating and drinking. I am cautiously optimistic.
I did call the local TSC and Rural King to see if they had any BA's or SLW's, and they only had chicks that were several weeks old. I don't want her being alone, but I'm afraid those older chicks will stomp on her. So I'm going to just baby her for a while, and then hopefully get her some broodmates more her size.
I think I'm going to name her......Frosty.
