another sad story

i got a call today from bosleys on 25 chicks and 2 ducklings that were going to be killed within the hour. i don't have room for twenty five more chickens but said i could take the ducks. marion found a place for the chicks anyway. sooooo....i drove in to maple ridge to pick up the ducks.

there were eleven...somebody can't count but i can. i asked where they came from and apparently they are culls from a hatchery, they get an hour to clean themselves up and learn to stand after hatching and if they don't get it together they are culled. their birthday becomes their death day and they only get an hour to decide. maybe this is kinder than the crowding and forced growing only to be slaughtered after not much of a life in a few more weeks anyway.

the culled babes are drowned and their bodies are picked up by one of the raptor rescues to feed the birds of prey. except for some reason, someone forgot to kill the chicks and delivered them alive. the raptor people don't feed live prey to the birds, they said it gives them bad habits so they would kill the babes if they had to but preferred not to and so called marion for help.

sigh, not all of the eleven babes are going to survive. three have deformed legs. but nicole and i gave them some water and vet amino, and set them up in a warm lighted cage in my sitting room and we shall see who can learn to do what with a bit more time.

sigh....will and grace got booted out of their room, and i now have a duckling nursery in my den and really, when will i just learn not to answer my phone? cuz every time i do, it is just another sad, sad story.