Very sad day today.  I had ordered 25 barred rock chicks and they were supposed to arrive yesterday but got mixed up in Anchorage  and weren’t delivered until today.  They were all froze except for 2 that made quiet little peeping sounds.  Ice was in the box if that will give you an idea of how cold these little things were.

Many people have a preconceived notion that farmers feel nothing for their animals and that could not be more untrue.  Every life is precious.  Just because we eat animals does not mean we devalue their lives, it simply means we value them for their purpose and yet believe their lives should be spent in relative comfort until the moment of their demise.

Not being one to ever give up I refused to believe that the end is always the end-There has to be one more chance.  So I said a prayer and decided to thaw them out before I gave up.  After many hours of thawing I now had 7 chicks that were breathing and chirping yet very weak.  Still not ready to throw in the towel I mixed corn syrup and water and began feeding them one at a time.  I have lost 2 more but knowing I gave it my best shot made their passing much easier on my heart.  I don’t know what will happen but I do know that live or die these precious little babies if they pass will have been warm, dry and nestled in the palms of someone who loved them if only for a short time.

Yes life and death on the farm is a daily event but even though losing animals hurts I pray I never lose the compassionate side of me for that would be a tragedy.  There are already too many in the world who are uncaring and unfeeling.