Mary and a Chicken

Chicken Journal thoughts by Mary, Jacob and Abigail (typed by Mom)

January 29, 2006
It was around 2 PM when we got our baby chicks. We expected 25 buy we really got 28. First we drove on White Street but we didn't’t know which side of the street it was on so we looked on every side. Soon we ran into the Post Office but we didn’t know which door to go to. Papa jumped the fence and ran to the wrong door and read “Go to the Main Entrance”. So he climbed the fence and went to the van. He drove the car to the main entrance and went in and got the chicks. He brought the chicks to the van. Then we drove home. Then I (Jacob) helped Mom get everything ready. We washed the tub, feeder and water pail, while the chicks were in the box. We brought the tub down and I (Jacob) went to the garage to get the sawdust! Then we put the newspaper Grandma and Pa gave us on top of the sawdust. Then we put water in the water pail Then we put the chicks in and tried to fit in the feeder but it was too big. So we got two glass bowls and put them in the tub with food in them. Then one chicken got sick, then two more got sick. Mom put the sick chicks in separate tubs because all the others were being mean to them. Mary and Mom warmed the chicks to help them get better.

January 30, 2006
The sick chickens are doing a lot better. I (Jacob) picked out my chick because of how her head looked. I named my chicken Bawk bawk. I picked out a chicken for Baruch. He named his Andrew because he likes to say that name.

Mrs. Vosberg came and picked up her 20 chicks. Now we have 8 chicks. Oh no! We put the three sick ones in with the others and they drank and drank. One of the sick ones wasn’t doing well. It had a tumor. It got wet and I had to dry it off. Then I (Jacob) rubbed the tumor and it got better.

February 1, 2006
I gave the sick chick company with my chick. They did well. The sick chick started pecking at Bawk bawk. Then I took her up and I said this very low, “don’t bite”. I named the sick chick Bawk. Now Bawk and Bawk bawk are in with all the other chicks. Now they are doing very well. They started growing feather.

February 6, 2006
The chickens are growing up. They have new feathers on their wings. Mary's has the most tail feathers. Five of them have tail feathers. One chicken flew up to the top of the bin. It was mine (Jacob's).

February 13, 2006

Jacob - I recognized that one of the chickens had really cool feathers. And I picked two chickens and that one was the one I had picked. I really like it.

Mary - The chickens are growing feathers very fast. Now they look almost like miniature adults.

Abigail - The chickens have big wings.

April 11, 2006

Mary - The chickens look just like adults now. They are covered with feathers all over. If you go into their pen you can find hundreds of feathers all over but you cannot see that they have lost any. I know which chicken is mine because it has a copper neck. The chickens will be laying at the end of May. Abigail feeds the chickens grass so I decided to eat grass to. Maybe then I will start laying eggs and I wouldn't have to worry about going hungry.

Cob - They are growing feathers and they are all done growing them too. My dad thinks their feathers have the bugs but I don't think they really do. I feed the chickens, clean out their cage and sprinkle oyster shells and feed them mash. That's it, bye. My chicken is the coolest.

Abigail - My chicken is white. My chicken is the prettiest. My chicken has not layed any eggs. My chicken is very very very very very pretty. None other chicken is just white like mine. I like to feed them grass.

Baruch loves to go into the pen. He is constantly trying to let the chickens out :-) (mom's note)

April 22

Jacob is the main chicken care taker. He is doing an excellent job. They have only gotten loose 4 or 5 times and 2 of those were due to Baruch's handy paws on the gate. The chickens are continuing to thrive under Jacob's care. (mom again)