I did the dumbest thing...

[Tonya]

My little brother, Danny is having his 21st birthday party on Saturday. Danny has a pet rooster and has always wanted a few more chickens.

So, my brother Jeff and I got this brilliant idea to get Danny two chicks for his birthday and name them Tonya and Jeff. Then, I got an even more brilliant idea to get the chicks today so that Jaden could enjoy them for a few days before I give them to Danny.

So. I have two loud messy chicks in my bathtub under a heat lamp right now. I have all these fond memories of my pet baby chicks when I was a kid. I forgot how noisy they are and how messy they are. They keep crapping and walking in it, smearing it all over. WTF was I thinking? I am not going to get any sleep until I give them to Danny Saturday.

*EDIT* They are quieting down, so now I am actually finding them cute again. Awwwww.

Tonya:



Jeff:



Brother and sister snuggling...awwwww

[Karen]

Oh the things a good sister will do! And I bet, 15 years from now, 20 years from now, Jaden will have forgotten the noise and mes, and remember the baby chicks fondly, too!

And it's fun that you post about this with today's Pet of the Day being a chicken, too! (At least for a little while more.)

[Twisterdog]

If I were you, I'd put them in a cardboard box, with newspapers on the bottom. Much easier to clean than an entire bathtub ... just throw away the newspapers and put in fresh ones.

It should also calm them down to be in a smaller, warmer, more enclosed space. They will probably be quieter when they feel more secure.

[Tonya]

Thank you!!! I will do that right now!

[Twisterdog]

Just a thought ... you said they were "brother and sister" ... do you actually know what sex they are, or were you just saying that because of their names? If I remember correctly, they have to be a certain age before you can tell?

The reason I ask is ... if your brother has a rooster, and one of these babies is also a male ... he will more than likely have serious problems when they grow up. One rooster likes to have the hens to himself, a little harem. Depending on the species, rooster can and do fight to the death. I remember my grandma's roosters fighting until all were dead but one.

[Fox-Gal]

We've had so many baby chickens in the house of the years (my husband loves chickens) that I guess I'm just use to the noise. But the mess I will never get use too. If you have some hay/straw throw that in there with them, it will help the mess, even some sand or dirt from the yard, if you have too. If not you are going to have some really really messy chicks.

Baby chickens are so cute. I think it's so neat that you got him some baby chickens for his 21st birthday. All my brother wanted on his 21st birthday was to go to a bar. So typical.

[Tonya]

I just made the brother sister thing up. lol. We can't tell what they are. I talked to my brother's wife about getting him chicks beforehand. She told me that if another winds up being a rooster, she is able to seperate them. They have alot of space.

[Tonya]

BTW, Fox Gal...we got him a keg too. God forbid if he has a 21st birthday without drinking. I'm just going to have out at the party the first few hours. I don't think it's going to be my forte. lol.

[Fox-Gal]

Originally posted by Twisterdog
Just a thought ... you said they were "brother and sister" ... do you actually know what sex they are, or were you just saying that because of their names? If I remember correctly, they have to be a certain age before you can tell?

The reason I ask is ... if your brother has a rooster, and one of these babies is also a male ... he will more than likely have serious problems when they grow up. One rooster likes to have the hens to himself, a little harem. Depending on the species, rooster can and do fight to the death. I remember my grandma's roosters fighting until all were dead but one.

I was thinking the same thing too. You can't tell the sex till they get older, So little Jeff could be a little girl, etc. Hopfully they will do ok for, while they are still young. Once they grow up though he might have to seperate them. But it sounds like you had chickens before so I'm sure you know about that.

[Fox-Gal]

Originally posted by Tonya
BTW, Fox Gal...we got him a keg too. God forbid if he has a 21st birthday without drinking. I'm just going to have out at the party the first few hours. I don't think it's going to be my forte. lol.

LOL now that's a typical 21st.

Don't party to hard now and keep the chickens away from the keg.

[slleipnir]

Sooooooooooooooo cute!!!

[jenfer]

You are a good sis, Tonya.

[Crikit]

No a dumb thing to do is to drive down the road blindfolded with your hands tied together by bubble tape (you know that like three feet string of gum) getting those chicks was sweet...they're so cute.

[luckies4me]

They are adorable. I would love to have my own chickens one day. I love the silkies!

Tell your brother Happy Birthday for me.

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by Tonya

Tonya:

Oh my gosh!!! CUTENESS OVERLOAD! *scoops chick up and kisses it* SO CUTE!!!!

This little baby reminds me of my Henny Penny..........a darling little chick hen that I had when I was about 10 years old. My dad was gone to the countryside and found a pet store on the way home that sold chicks, ducklings, etc. He came home with eight...........YES EIGHT!!! And considering we lived in the CITY, it was *not* an appropriate place to raise chicks, let alone 8 of them! My brother and I were THRILLED!!! My mom on the other hand, was not so thrilled, but their cuteness captured her mind and she didn't say anything. Anyway, we enjoyed them for 2 months..........they were the sweetest little things, absolutely adorable, and ALL of them looked different. Henny Penny was my absolute favorite. She was a golden chick, extremely friendly and loving, sooooooo cuddly, and the sweetest chick you could ask for. I loved them all, but loved Henny Penny with all my heart. They were tiny at first, but then they grew...........and grew..........and got messier and messier and noisier and noisier. After 2 months, they were too big for our little yard and barely had any room to run around and play. (My point in this story........what we did was more dumb!) My dad talked to a friend of his who lived in the countryside and raised chickens as pets, and he agreed to take all of them. You have no idea how much I cried the day the chicks moved out and went to their new home. They called us with updates about them all the time, and even sent us their eggs when they grew up (which were green), but I just missed them so much. Your babies reminded me of my chicks. Now I miss them again. Boo hoo hoo.

*dreams of baby chicks*