Life on a family farm
in the wilds of
Upstate New York
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Kinda Pasty
As you may know the kids have been working toward a sideline in poultry and poultry products. They have a small flock of layers, they raised turkeys on grass last summer, and now they have chicks. Lots of chicks from a number of sources. Word has it there are 80-some in that nice brooder the boys recycled.
Some of these chicks arrived with pasty fannies and others, after all the stress of moving several times, developed them. Thus yesterday was baby chick butt washing day. Some of them received this lifesaving attention in the kitchen, before the operation was moved to the barn.
I retreated from this affair. Not that I haven't had chicks in the house. I used to raise them in a 20-gallon aquarium with a light bulb when we lived down in town. At least we had an enclosed porch for that enterprise. I raised many broods and had a substantial flock at one time....maybe a hundred or so birds, and certainly 75 guinea fowl. And I have tended to pasty chicken fannies more than once. It was just that I didn't have to.... so I didn't. That torch has been passed.
Jacqueline, when their feed is not exactly as it should be, or they are stressed...and being moved repeatedly from hatchery to store to farm is stressful...their manure gets sticky and clings to their feathers, resulting in clogged vents, which can be fatal. This requires that someone remove the manure. The ick factor is high. I am happy not to have to participate any more. Kind of a not my circus not my monkeys kind of moment.
3 comments:
Tell us more about "pasty fannies" and why you are glad that torch has passed.
Jacqueline, when their feed is not exactly as it should be, or they are stressed...and being moved repeatedly from hatchery to store to farm is stressful...their manure gets sticky and clings to their feathers, resulting in clogged vents, which can be fatal. This requires that someone remove the manure. The ick factor is high. I am happy not to have to participate any more. Kind of a not my circus not my monkeys kind of moment.
It's really is nice to pass the torch on those things we really don't like to do, and never did like to do.
Linda ★★
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