So today my wife and I made bamboo feeders and water troughs for one of our newest chickens. This chicken was a gift. Here is the story behind the gift…
About a month ago our neighbor came to us at night and gave us his last two young chickens. The rest in that clutch had all died. Then since that clutch he had yet another group of chicks and they all died. So having only these two left he asked if we could look after them for him and help them to survive. Shortly after that he has yet another group of chicks hatch. When they did we were at his house and he asked us to help them to survive. So I (j.wu) ran to our house and got a local woven bamboo “cock fighting” cage (which I had bought at the market for such an occasions as this), a water basin, some cloth mesh, and some rice husk. Soon we had a small warm, dry, safe, portable chicken brooder for his group of chicks. We put the chicks in there and then I got an idea from Above on how to make a self refilling watering trough. So yet again i ran and got some materials. This time it was some bamboo I had cut from the jungle, recycled 1.25 liter Soda bottle, and some wire. Soon the new chicks had all the water their little bodies needed. I later gave him a thermometer and a 25 watt clamp-lamp to keep his chicks warm at night. For the weeks that followed our neighbor and his family could be seen at night crowded around a little lit chicken cage watching the baby chicks play around. It looked as if they were gathered around a camp fire. And during the days, the grand daughter would often go around picking grass for them to eat. During those first couple weeks when most of the chicks in the village usually died, every one of our neighbors chickens survived (even a little runt which they thought for sure would die. This is pretty amazing and we thank the Lord for it because I have heard and read that on average the mortality rate for chicks in a village setting here in Thailand is between 50-80% (especially during this time of year which is raining seasons).
It has only been about a month since A. Wu and I have helped our neighbor with his baby chick management and now has over 20 healthy and growing pullets and cockerels running around, and more hatching daily (we helped him find a natural way to have his hens lay more often). This all has greatly multiplied his chicken flock which previously was only 1 Rooster and 3 hens. Pretty good multiplication in a month, eh?
So a couple days ago our neighbor he gave us one of his best little roosters from that very first batch that we helped him with. It is a beautiful little guy. This little rooster is at one month old the size of the average village chicken at 3 months old! And that is all natural! No growth hormones
My wife and I have really been loving taking care of our chickens. We really hope to be able to bless the people of this village soon with fresh eggs daily and the occasional roast chicken to celebrate life together.
This is my nieghbor's new baby chick brooder we made
October 26, 2009 at 4:22 am
I love your blog! We are trying to raise chickens also. We started with six. The first was dinner for a racooon and then four have provided meals for hawks. I think that you are ahead of me in success. The best way to get to me is the above email address.
November 5, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Nice hat. I love this picture. Really glad you have a blog too. I hope to see you in the flesh sometime. Seminary is going good, I started baking bread again. I think what your doing for your neighbors is really sweet.