Super Peeper

The week before last I stopped by the local feed store to ask if it was possible to order some Dark Brahma chicks, because they're not a usual request. The lady took my name and number and said she'd see about doing that. Now to be completely clear here, I only inquired as to availability on the chicks, not order them. Guess what. She ordered them. So, here I sit in the kitchen at the sudo-bar listening to the chicks I picked up today. Normally I would be having fun with this, but it was rushed. I hate rushed. Plus it took something like twenty minutes for two girls who worked there, two chicken aficionados and myself to figure out which ones were the Dark Brahmas. Once we had them singled out we weren't sure they were the right ones because they were mixed in with Cochins, Buff Brahmas and Patridge Brahmas.

They ALL LOOK THE SAME!!! This means that I brought home two chicks which we were reasonably sure are the correct ones... and another which looks like something else entirely... and one that we're reasonably sure is a Buff Brahma. The Buff was on purpose, because the 4th maybe-Brahma was.... extremely aggressive for a Brahma, let alone a chick. So I asked to switch it out. Of the two Dark 'for-sure' Brahmas, they're on the small side, and one of them stumbles a lot when it tries to walk, as well as displays saggy wings. NOT A GOOD SIGN! This chick might as well be waving red flags. If its still that messed up tomorrow morning, I'm taking it back and just getting something else.

Then there's the Buff Brahma. This chick will live out its foreseeable future with the monicur "Super Peeper". This chick has the lungs and vocal cords of an opera singer. I had to make one stop before heading home at the pet store to get vitamins for my dog. As I stepped out of the shop on my way to the car, I could hear Super Peeper from the doorway of the store. This means that this tiny chick has the ability to pierce the walls of a 1981 Oldsmobile tank, fling its voice across 50 to 60 yards of parking lot, and through two glass doors of a noisy pet shop, because I heard it well before I opened the doors to exit the premises. Currently Super Peeper is residing with its 3 new buddies in a make shift brooder, and I am praying it eventually falls asleep because if it doesn't I'm looking at a very long sleepless night. *mumble mumble mumble*

On a brighter note, the feed store had a ton of chickens of all sizes and breeds, so it was fun to see all the different fuzzies. I have to say that the Polish chicks were really cute with their little fuzzy pompom on their heads, representing the afro they will have later in life. The little BB Reds were also extremely cute. I will not be getting small breeds even though I like them, since they have a hard time with cold climate. Finding birds frozen to perches is just not an enjoyable experience. Ugh. I have nightmares. *shudder*