A Sweet Surprise ~ A Baby Chick!

I thought we had several days left to go...

Today I was out taking care of my flock of hens, when I saw Crystal, the mother hen.  She was clucking around her yard and I could not figure out what the problem was.  I supposed that after sitting on eggs for over a month, maybe she got tired of it.  She sat for a couple weeks on unfertilized eggs before I did a swap and gave her some eggs with promise.  I rushed in to check her nest, saw only FIVE little eggs in it (missing one) and then spotted the teeny chick following her around.  Mama made sure I stayed a safe distance away, but this little chick is SO CUTE!!!

I checked the eggs left on the nest and they were pretty cool.  Not cold, but not warm either.  So I don't have much hope for them although I'll see what she does for another day or two.  I rushed off to the feed store with the kids to get chick starter for this little girl (we hope) that we've decided to call Fluff.  I encouraged the kids to think of something short, and easy to use.  No more of this "Brynna Cora Oliva Stafford" jazz.  Let's go with Big Mama, Cannibal, Rooster and Unsightly Mess.  Okay, so the name can be long if it fits, but I digress.  

Wouldn't you know it, there were baby chicks at the feed store.  And we had to buy two.  They had no Australorps, so we settled on two Rhode Island Reds.  Gotta go for the variety!  Our Mama Australorp hatched out an Ameracauna, anyway. =)  She doesn't seem to mind at all.  

We tried to introduce the baby chicks to Crystal, and after an initial feather fluffing and a loud scream, she deigned to look one over.  If the chick had in any way responded to her, I think she'd have adopted it.  But it sat there, having never seen an adult chicken in it's life, and when Crystal prompted it to hide under her, it gave no response.  So she nudged it with her beak.  No response.  Pecked it gently on the head.  No response.  Pecked it harder on the head and got a response from me.  So to my sorrow and the kids delight, we get to raise these two chicks in a box in the house.  Yay.  Whoop. De. Do.  I have to say feels nice to have a mother hen taking care of the chick instead of me.  Too bad I went and got more...

Lucky chicks.

But they grow quickly.  And they'll be tame in no time, while Crystal and her chick might take a while to win over.  I really don't care, I'm not feeling the need to snuggle with my chickens.  But it is nice when they seem to like you a little.  =)  These chicks are certainly loved by my kids!

Now to pursue the more difficult task of ridding myself of one or two chickens.  Cannibal must go.  And what is your opinion about Unsightly Mess?

I was eager for the spring molting, but I should have kept her away from Big Mama.  Big Mama promptly plucked the feathers from the top of her head, back of her neck and the sides of each wing.  She looks horrendous and won't look any better til after the fall molt.  She lays her green egg so faithfully, I hate to just get rid of her.  Big Mama is glossy, large, slightly shy and lays almost an egg per day.  She's chicken deluxe and I can't get rid of her just because she's at the top of the pecking order!  What to do?