The Day “Thunder” Arrived

Everyone knows that Thunder makes a Loud Noise! Well Thunder arrived at our home yesterday and it sure does make noise.

Earlier in the day we were shopping at our Farmer’s Market and “milling among the millions” – on this Easter weekend. It was then that we spotted the display of a local farmer and what they had for sale.

There in the small enclosure was a collection of Black Chicks… a very Easter kind of participation display. The kids were standing close to the enclosure pointing out the small bodies busily pecking at the feed in the small dish. The chicks were only three days old. Talk about cute!!!!

But these chicks were not just for looking at… they were up for adoption. For a small fee of $10 you were able to adopt them…taking one (or more) home for the Easter weekend – or for as long as you would like to keep it.

Yep… you guessed it. Grandma and Grandpa Lincoln became Chicken Farmers for this week. A carefully typed instruction sheet explained all that we needed to do to take care of our little black chick… and encouraged us that we could simply call if we had any problem with the chick. And if it made too much noise – or we couldn’t handle it… we could bring it back to the Farm where it came from.

I spoke with the lady in charge of the adoption process. She explained that she had 27 chicks when she began about one hour ago – and this was the last one. Not bad she had adopted out $270 in one hour… with the good possibility that the person that adopted the chick would bring it back.

Included with the chick was a week’s supply of food. The bag that held the food was six times the size of the chick… and about 100 times its weight! The lady explained that if we kept it longer than a week…we would have to buy more food. Hokey Mokey – I never knew that something so small could eat so much!!!!

The photos of “Thunder” working his magic says it all.
Emma our granddaughter gave him the name Thunder. Emma is 10 and has a heart of pure gold. When I told her that we would take Thunder back next Saturday – she frowned… “No way! We can keep him. I love him. Can we get someone that has a farm to look after him for us?” Sheesh! I am now in a hot spot that the Farming Lady never warned me about. How do you take it back – when your grandkids love it so much from the start?

Then Clifford, my taller than me 14 year old grandson, suggested that we not call it Thunder – but rather “Drum Stick”, or maybe call it “Supper”. Emma was not impressed.
I explained to Emma that in about six weeks, or by May 23 – “Thunder” could provide us with a great super together. I also explained that his brothers and sisters at the farm were likely going to be at Swiss Chalet (a chicken restaurant in our area). She was not impressed.

Clifford asked her a logical question at that point. “Emma look down at your plate… what are you eating?” Emma looked down and then looked at me… saying slowly… “Chicken…”. Oh boy… what have I done?

We went through all the scenarios that are possible to save “Thunder’s” life. He could live in a chicken pen outside Great Grandma’s. Grandpa could build a pet enclosure just for Thunder. And if Thunder is a male he would then wake up everyone early with his crowing…

This was getting complicated. What the $10 adoption feed did was make a farming lady a little richer – at $270 an hour… and it has complicated my life entirely. Clifford and Emma have fallen in love with Thunder. Emma may become a Vegetarian… and Grandpa has made himself another job of indoor farming for one week. Hokey Mokey… Yikes!

One of the heart warming things I spotted as I came into our dinning room I captured with the camera. There on the floor was my 88 year old mother sitting beside Thunder. You see she was a farm girl and has never forgotten the chicks of her early years…
I will never cease to be amazed at how a little chicken can turn the hearts and minds of full grown people.

Back in the Farmer’s Market as I was speaking to the lady adopting out the chicks… she said something with a big grin on her face… “It works for both of us… and you can keep it as long as you like.”

Now if we did keep Thunder… and later found a Mr. or Mrs. Thunder depending on our Thunder's genetic make up… we could have more little Thunders by the summer… and if my calculation is correct… we might have about 216 by the end of summer… we would be saving about $5400 ($25 for two people) in money we wouldn’t spend at Swiss Chalet. But if I adopted the chicks out for $10 a chick each week…that is $2160 per hour…

When Thunder arrived… our world changed… “That’s why we call him Thunder Grandpa!”

Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Notes for City Farmers:
A small mirror in the enclosure helps Thunder to stop chirping his head off... the small 25W bulb let him snuggle up and sleep for a long time between chirps... and the wood shavings are easy...