Even though the pear tree is in bloom..
..and the grape hyacinths are up..
..it's still really cold here.
And, never, ever, in my wildest dreams, did I see the events of last night coming my way.
The power went off.
Normally, no big deal, till you have five baby chicks who are one week old and have to maintain a 95 degree temperature or..well, chicksicles.
It was around 4am - I didn't know what to do.
I was in full panic.
Then, it hit me.
I picked them all up, and they were pretty cold. Not moving much at all.
I took them upstairs in the laundry hamper, put on my housecoat, tucked each one inside against my belly, and then played statue for three hours.
They were sprawled out, happy, and they were warm.
Of course, I had a shoot to shop for today, and felt like I'd been hit by a truck - looked like it too.
When people asked what was up with me today, I simply said I had five chickens in my housecoat all night and didn't get a wink of sleep!
What would you have done?
38 comments:
totally relate - the things we do when we have animals.
Glad they made the night, early to bed for you!
Love Leanne
I have no better idea than yours...no power means it gets cold fast...maybe put them in the car and turn the heater on?
I spent 2 sleepless nights awhile back after my kitten was spayed and she kept pulling off the buster collar and trying to rip out her stitches...I was exhausted for several days...but that seems to be the maternal instinct kicking in...it works with both children and anilmals!
good mommy instincts!
You are very clever. Sort of reminds me of that old "I Love Lucy" episode where Lucy and Ethel are playing mother hens to a bunch of chicks...that was hilarious. I don't think though, that you would find any humor in staying awake all night with baby chicks inside your clothes...or do you? Anyway, good for you and your inventiveness.
That was an inspiring insight to save the little ones when the power went out. Good for you!
Now they will follow you around for the rest of their lives...
Good job mama!!
♥'s
Sherry
Oh I laughed at that one...I can just picture it. If my old dog was still around, I would have tucked them in with her....she would have loved it.
Oh, farmlife. I think the best part of this post is that you say "housecoat." Love it!
Oh, I can almost see them tucked safely in your housecoat nice and warm. You did the right thing. I hope they are safe now and that you get some rest.
Karen
I would have done the same thing. You are such a good little chick mama. Hope you get more rest tonight. Carla
Hilarious! You are quite the farmer these days.
So incredibly awesome. Great instincts! :)
You are a GREAT chick mama - there really wasn't anything else you could do. Those girls are going to follow you everywhere when they grow up!
xx
Oh my goodness you chick-life-saver I think you should be given a special eastery award for service beyond the call of duty!
I would have done the same, they barely weigh anything do they? I should be so scared of squashing one!
Simply lovely,
Sarah x
You are a GEM! All I could think of was...did they poop on you? lol
Yes, I would have done the same thing...they are just so stinkin' adorable. And so are YOU! I love your new profile pic up there with your little cutie patootie next to ya. Adorable.
Proud of you!
Kristine
We had the same thing happen to us the very weekend we brought home our chicks and ducks. Luckily, we have a fireplace so we just parked the brooder in front of it. Had we been without, I would have done the same thing but I'm so grateful we do as the power was out for almost 7 hours. Just think, now you have something to remind them of any time they give you flack.
Oh dear...You are such a good farmer!.....And cheaper than turning that wonderful gas oven on and keeping them in that room!..what we do for our critters...they are so darn cute!
So sweet! What a good mama! Beautiful photos as always :-)
aw ... hopefully the very same thing.
xo
elyse
http://tomstephenson.blogspot.com/2011/03/ican.html?showComment=1301603784146#c5988002231346476143
A helpful hint, my dear...
What a perfect mother hen you are! If it were me I would have done exactly the same thing and like you paid for consequences the next day but rewarded myself for a job well done with mountains of coffee. Hope your power is back on and you get a good night's sleep tonight!
Hilarious. That is true chicken devotion. I wonder what farmers did before electricity. Must be a system.
I don't know that I would have thought of that, but I'm glad you did!
That is brilliant! My husband would hatch chickens as a child but they had an old-fashioned oil stove in their kitchen that would run 24hrs a day... even in summer... the chicks lived on the floor nearby until they were all grown up. Georgie x
Aww...poor chickies! Sounds like you're a good chicken mama, though ;)
awww, that's a pretty sweet story. too bad you were sleepy but so worth it!
Oh my...you tell a great story! Good job! Thanks for the smile!
Great thinking! You are a great mamma! XOL
wow what a sweet story! Maternal instinct is right!
Clever thing to do... I love the way farm life makes us love and care for animals and plants.
My power didn't went out that day, however it hailed here today the size bigger than a toonie. It was a weird day. I'm glad your adorable chicks are doing good. You're such a good Mommy.
Just found your blog. Just got my first chicks too. 5 days old and I tell ya I would have done the same thing. Will be reading your blog to see how chick ownership is going for you. Im so excited. If you could show pictures of your coop that would be great. Im working on it this week and love getting ideas.
PS I think we have all the same birds but I got 15
They needed body heat. Where else would they get it? You did the perfect thing. Sorry you were so tired! :( But the chicks were fine, right?
That is soooo sweet! I love how us moms take care of our animals like they're our babies:)
Aww, you're a good mommy! And I'm sure those little chicks appreciate you!
omg. crazy. you never know what's going to happen when the power goes out. I'm so excited that I found your blog. I'm completely following now, I hope you will as well. I started my blog a little over a month ago. It's all about celebrity fashion from the point of view of an LA stylist. Stop by to see multiple post a day on all the latest celebrity fashion news. Would love your support. xoxo
www.fashboulevard.blogspot.com
I love it. Tells me so much about you, what can I tell ya? I love you. I'm sure you make a beautiful sleep-deprived woman.
xoox,
-maria
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