These chickens were my cousins chickens, the one who's house was falling in and my mom had the kids?? She had a flock of 19. With all the stress of her house falling in, she didn't always remember to feed them, we don't think. Plus I found out she only fed them chick starter for 2 weeks and then it was straight to layer! They had never had grower or scratch before!
The chickens were given to my mom as payment for keeping the kids for as long as she did. My mom didn't turn it way, of course LOL, and since she knew I was looking to expand my breeding flock of LB's and that I need a good LB Roo, she offered me the rooster and first pick of the hens.
I have never felt so greedy in all my life! I felt like a total heel taking this chickens from my mom. I promised to take it in trade, as come spring when I have some chicks hatch I am going to give my mom some hens from the hatchlings to expand her flock with. She kept telling me not to worry about it, and kept trying to push ALL of the best hens on me. I took 8 hens, 4 that I knew I could use for my breeding project, and 4 that would just make nice layers (once they are fattened up!) Mom calls the next day and says, "You left a few of the nicer hens here, do you want to trade out?" I said no. I can't take all of the best hens, after all, they were given to my mom coop and all, and I feel she deserves it after all she has put up with.
Animal sanctuary? I guess I am in a way. I can't stand to see anything suffer or neglected, and I am teaching my kids to be the same way. BUT I am not an animal rights activist. I firmly believe PEOPLE come first, and then after the people, the animals have some rights, but they do not have the right to be more important than human life.
Did I tell ya'll my 9 year old daughter rescued a puppy yesterday? Well, she did in a way, but in a way, it was an early xmas gift.
For her 8th birthday a local friend had given her a lab pup for her birthday. Someone stole him right out of our yard. Yesterday our local dog warden told us he had a litter of lab pups down at the pound. We took her down there and he told her to choose the one she liked. She picked a male pup that looks just like her Shadow who was taken. He's 8 weeks old. We asked the warden how much for the adoption, and he said just go, and he looked at DD and said, "Merry Christmas." I've never seen my daughter wrap someone up in a hug the way she did him! He gave each of the kids a puppy coloring book and he gave DD a DVD on how to train your puppy.
You know she has him in her room and is working on paper training him already?! LOL She laid newspaper down for him so he could sleep in her room and she said when she got up this morning he had poo'd 3 times and peed once on the paper. She changed out that paper for fresh and took Shadow (yup, she gave him the same name as the first) outside to go potty. She is pleased as punch!
So mom's on it. 
