Poopstruck

In the morning you always have to check on the chicks.  They can get in trouble, get stuck in the coop, whathaveyou. They're creative.This morning one guinea chick was gone, no body, no ideas:(  Now the last keet has no little friends to grow up with.  And the white Silkie chick was MIA too.  I went hunting in the small coop, yep, she was in there, in the corner, and I poked her, and she came scampering out.Covered in shit.Her mom just looked at her as she ran by.  I don't know how hens can be so expressive.  They're masters of body language.  Like, what have you done NOW? and/or That's gonna get all over my feathers when I have to sit on you!This chick took a direct hit between the shoulders.  A big, wet poop.  I can't say I've ever had to deal with this before.It was time for a washing.I thought I could get some water and a washcloth and wipe her down, but now, it was beyond wiping.  It was all under her wings, down her back, dripping down sides.  Pretty much only her head was clean.  She got a thorough bathing, and because their feathers are yellow when wet, I wasn't sure she was really clean.She enjoyed the bathing, by the way, nice, warm water.  So then I thought I'll let her run back to mom and mom will sit on her until she's dry and warm again, right?So she runs, shivering, and then mama is reluctant to settle on her.  The little chick is huddling, and standing on tiptoes, trying to push herself up into her fluff, crying, but she wasn't getting the warming she needed.Plan B then. I grabbed her up, stuck her in a pocket (it's so automatic now.  I can stick a chick, or several, in a pouch or pocket, or down my shirt, and they instantly go quiet - dark and warm?  No further questions).  It's when they have a head out and can see what's happening they cheep like the sky is falling.I brought her back to the house, wrapped her in a washcloth, and stuck her under the covers with HW (Huh? What?  I hear a chick...).  He didn't object to the excuse to stay in bed.There was some mild, curious cheeping for a bit:  I say, this seems irregular.  Not that I'm complaining, mind you!Then the  chick conked out for a long nap.  Very long.  Very quiet.I peeked.Eventually she wiggled out of the washcloth and went for an exploratory crawl with her little talons (Hey!  Ouch!).  She came out fluffy as anything, and passed the sniff test, so I returned her to mom in the greenhouse, who also smelled her!HW (skeptical):  How do you know that she smelled her?Me:  Oh I know a smelling when I see one.  She leaned over, beak an inch away, and then was satisfied and resumed her business.  It was a sniffing.Never a dull moment.