My Chicken LIVES!!!!

I was out hourly till midnight last night force feeding the ill chicken that water/molasses mixture. I dreaded what I might find this morning but instead of one or more dead birds there were all 6 chattering and running about the coop! When I opened the door they veritably flew out into the run and ate heartily. I am very relieved! I can't even tell which of the chickens he was (other than knowing it isn't either guinea or the pullet.) I don't know if the purgative did the trick or if he hadn't ingested as much as the deceased guinea or a combination of the 2, but I don't care. He's alive, at least until we cook him for supper. But that's another 6 weeks away, and who knows, he might be the rooster we keep.

I raked up more of the dead leaves under the hollyhocks and took them away to dump where the chickens can't get them. I watered the areas thoroughly again to wash that diazinon into the soil. The chickens still aren't coming outside for a few days though, I'd like to have more rain and I may still water the soil in myself.

I called the hatchery I am getting my future chickens from to see if they had any guineas available. A lot of hatcheries are sold out or the wait is into October. I've been calling them every 2 weeks because they had many back orders to fill first. Today I lucked out and ended up buying 20 assorted guineas! Wait till I tell Hal. He should be happy to know I didn't have to order 30 which is the minimum for many others. They should arrive the same time as my chicks, end of July. I'm going to be up to my ears in baby birds!