Lefty is the third baby chick we've had to rescue from the hens in the chicken coup. This chick hatched and had kind of a rough start to life. One of the turkin hens picked him up right out of the egg by his right wing and was carrying him across the chicken yard (and not in a lovingly-motherly way.)
It is pure luck that I happened to see the hen with the chick in her beak just seconds after she pulled it from the egg. Thankfully, I could get it from her before she did any more damage. Since the chick was still wet and "egg-shaped" when I found it and had hatched from an egg that hadn't been sat on by a hen in a few days, I wasn't sure it would live. But, I brought him in the house and set it up in the warm tub with the other two chicks (Black-Eyed Pea and Turkey), and protected him from their curious beaks with a cardboard barrier.
A few days under the warm light, some food and lots of fresh water, and now Lefty is doing just fine -- other than his wing is damaged where then hen picked him up from the egg (I guess you could call it his shoulder?). He rarely moves his right wing, but goes all kinds of crazy with his left so it seemed only obvious to name him Lefty. Teeny tiny little bugger... Here he is sleeping under a bright desk lamp in an empty Stampin' Up box that I had handy. It took him a few days to get his legs working like legs are supposed to work, so the box is keeping him from staggering too far from the warmth. Today, his legs are good and strong, but his right wing is still not healed. The wing isn't growing as well as the other, so... I guess he'll always fly in clock-wise circles.
Haa!!
He's a goofy little chick. I have found him more than once under the heat lamp laying on his back, all stretched out under the light. The first time I saw him like this I thought he had died! But no!! It was like he'd slathered himself up with oil and was set to get the tan of his life! He was just enjoying the warmth of the light on his belly. What a crazy chick!
He woke up after I took this photo and had to eat. I guess sunbathing gives ya the munchies!
He looks soooo goofy!! Haaa!!
