The Yardstead

I woke up about 5:30 this morning and walked into the kitchen to start some coffee.  I looked out the window and noticed it was raining.  I was glad to see the rain but suddenly I remembered that our baby chicks which are about 3 weeks old were outside with no cover.  We moved the baby chicks outside 2 days ago.  They are in the pen with the adult hens, but are confined to a small holding pen, mostly to protect them from the adult hens.  They have a light to keep them warm and their feeder and waterer, but I haven't made them a cover yet.  I rushed out to their pen with a large umbrella to check on them.  They were all huddled together but were soaking wet.  Some of them were shivering so I ran and got the storage tote that had been their home for the previous 3 weeks.  I started grabbing them and putting them in the box and noticed one of the smaller chicks was laying on the ground sprawled out.  There are 3 chicks that are about 4 days younger than the rest and a little smaller.  All the chicks were cold but seemed ok except the small one which had been sprawled on the ground.  I carried them all inside in the storage tote and put 2 warming light on them.  I took the little one in a towel and gently dried her as best I could. I sat on the floor near a small electric heater and held her close to the warm air to speed the drying.  Her eyes were closed and I really didn't think she was going to make it.  By this time K was up so she took over the ailing chick and I went to check on the others.  They looked better already but were still wet and some shivering.  I grabbed the other 2 small chicks which looked a little worse than the big ones and gave them to K.