so sad.....Zack is gone....

Today a raccoon stole Zacky...
He is gone.
We are all still in shock.
Crying.
We brought the other 8 chicks back inside and they too are crying. Looking for their buddy.
Zacky was N's favorite. They had bonded and loved each other.
We are all so sad.
I wish I could take the last couple hours of this day back...and change them.
It was a very hot day today.
The house was so hot, so we went outside in the shade and put them in the chick run.
It doesn't have a top.
We were outside with them and kept a close eye.
Then we all went inside.
No one was watching.
I knew I should have put some wire over the top.
I even said something to J about it..."should we bring them in...you know that whole dawn and dusk thing? Do you think they will be ok?" He thought they would be ok.
but we got busy doing other stuff. and thought 4:30 was still very light out and still early.
and I thought they would prefer the outdoors for a little longer...
I feel horrible.
Zack is gone.

N wants to hatch more chicks. Or get another chick from a farmer that looks like Zack....
I explained to him that there will be only one Zack and we can't get more chicks right now.
He says he is ok.
He says he is glad he has pictures to remember what Zack looks like.

1 week

2 weeks

3 weeks

J says we must learn from this experience.

We must take better care of our chicks.

We will add a roof to the run...

Even then...I am worried.

How are we going to do this???

I feel like I want to quit.

I want someone else to take them and keep them safe.

I didn't know I was already so attached to them....

Espeically to Zacky...who I had just been holding an hour before...

The chicks have finally quieted down from their peeping...

They must now understand that he is not coming back.

Zack is gone.

 

 

 

 

3 weeks old

#1 Penelope

#2 Blackout

 #3 Rocky

 #4 Teriaki

 



#5 Zack

#6 Cinnamon



#7 NutMeg

#8 Stu

 

 #9 Blanca

BLANCA jumped in front of the camera to get her picture taken!!!

#9 Blanca

#9 named Blanco by M (or Blanca, since we hope it is a hen).

She is M's favorite. She is the smallest chick and she has white wings.

She has a good temperment so far. Doesn't seem to mind being held.

Name:

BLANCA

Breed:

Rhode Island white?  

#8 Stu

#8 is one of the lighter yellow chicks (the bigger of the two). also, has light tan wings.

No brown feathering (at least not yet) on shoulders. tolerates holding ok, but prefers a buddy (another chick around). I think I've seen this one chest bump the others (cockerel/male behavior).

 Name:

 STU?

Breed:

Gold Star?

If so, it would be a cockerel...since it's lighter in coloring.

#7 NutMeg

#7 is the second one that is darker yellow/tan

also starting to get in brown shoulder feathers (though slower than number six).

Shorter tail feathers, for now...also has the longer couple feather on wings.

This one is calmer than numbe six. But also prefers a buddy when being held at this point.

Name:

NutMeg

Breed:

Gold Star?

If so, it would be a pullet (girl). It was darker with faint darker stripes.

#6 Cinnamon

#6 is one of the darker yellow/tan chicks

This chick is getting it's tail feathers in earlier than the others and has longer wing feathers.

There are darker brown feathers showing up on it's shoulders

(I thought it was getting pecked/picked on, but it's just dark feathers-ha!)

This one doesn't like to be held much...we are still working on it.

He does a little better, with a buddy, but still only tolerate it at this point.

Name:

CINNAMON

Breed:

maybe Gold Star?

Which would mean it's a Pullet (girl)...since it's one of the darker of the yellow/tans...

but with the long tail feathers? could it still be a Cockerel? I don't know. It is certainly getting in it's feathers faster than the others...and it's behavior seems more cockerel.