Back last Dec. I was thinking about my chickens and how I lost so many to the fox I would order some chicks for the Spring. I had a couple of breeds that I really wanted. The problem started with I had to order from 2 different hatcheries. As I am searching for what I wanted I read that delivery cost would be 35. But if you buy 15 shipping is free. I love a deal so I shop till I find 15 chicks and put my order in for Spring delivery. No I still do not have the other most desired breed I wanted so I found a hatchery that had them all to ship about same time. Now again I see 35$shipping unless you buy 15. OK another deal. 15 it is. Well shipping dates where not looking good so I put them a month apart. I feel so lucky I save 70 bucks. Now I start thinking but I will have 30 chicks. I'm dead.
I'm in Tractor Supply getting chick starter food because the first batch is due the next day. They have a ben of bantam chicks and I love bantams. As I'm looking at them (just to look) the Manager a friend walks by and says I'll let them go for a dollar each because I need them to be sold before tomorrow. No I don't need anymore chicks. A few minutes later she comes back and says if you take all of them I let you have them for .75 cents. Now my brain starts in "bargain" You know how much they cost what a deal. I'll take em. As I am checking out the clerk says you get a 25% discount. Wow I just hit the loto those birds cost me .57 cents I was in heave all the way to the car when I counted them and learned there were 10 more birds and 15 due the next day. Shit this is going to be a fun time. Well the next day the birds came but where all dead. Not sure what happened but it does happen sometimes. I called the hatchery and they said they would replace the order next week.
The next week came and again the chicks died all but 2. Again the hatchery replaced the order. All the time the discount bantams are getting big and older. Not good to mix birds of different size and age as it can cause problems that lead to killing each other. It took almost 2 weeks for the second replacement but they arrived all alive and doing well. I now can not mix the two groups so out come the second dog kennel to house them. And the next bargain group is due 3 weeks.
Ok so now I have the original 15 plus the 2 survivors and 10 discount chicks. Again I'm at Tractor supply to get feed and the manager tells me she has a chick that does not have feathers on it back and she can't sell it so she must destroy it. No I'll take it and see if I can get it on a good path to chickenhood. now lets add the free be bird to that number. The last shipment of birds arrive all well plus they put in a mystery bird and a couple of extras to make sure I got all 15 birds. Yes I got 18 birds for a grand total of 46 bargains. And I have to keep each group separated. Now my daughter from NY is coming for a visit at Memorial weekend. I got the small school house ready for the first 2 groups of birds and they all seem to be doing Ok. The kids came had a great time then chaos started after they left. Emu running loose in the middle of the night, goats ran over me with the golf cart now the next excitement was headed my way.
Turns out all was not well in the little red school house. those discounted bantams boys where bulling a couple of my polish hens because their feathers cause them to not see and that makes them nervous nellies. So they get picked on. This behavior was noticed by me when I let them out to free roam a bit and the bantam boy chase them under the little red school house. Hell I didn't know they could even fit under there. I could not get my arm under there to reach them. I got a stick to see if I could push them out. No way it drove them under it further. It's now 2 days later and they have not come out and I can not reach them by no means. In comes the neighbor with the big boy to left the little red school house up so I could get them out. I hope I survive this shit. Now them nervous nellies live with me till I can figure out what to do with them.
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