Chick Death

We lost our first chick yesterday, most likely due to handling from Clara. She came out to get me, and the chick was just flopping around. I picked it up and it died in my arms. It's scary to think she could actually break its neck, but I guess it's not that unusual. I kept thinking Of Mice and Men.

Clara was very insistent that she was just petting it, and suddenly it opened its mouth and couldn't peep. Lee was just as insistent that Clara was holding it around the neck.

So, Lee went to get Laura Morgan, who came by and confirmed that yes, it really was dead (I have so little experience with anything dying that I wanted to be sure!), and we wrapped it in an old T-shirt, and buried it under our enkianthus. Denise, who was here planting our new shrubs, was a good sport about it all.

The kids named her "Clee" posthumously, and then made a little gravestone, with "Clee" on one side, and "CHCK" on the other.

Clara, of course, was over it pretty quickly, and Lee was upset for hours. But in the end, I think it's good that they experienced this.

Chick Drama

The weather has been really nice the last few days (overall it's been a pretty cold, dreary spring), and so we've been putting the chicks outside during the day. Yesterday was actually pretty warm, and I don't know if that's what pushed the chicks over the edge, but suddenly we had a serious issue with pecking. I knew chicks sometimes pecked each other (even to death), but didn't realize how quickly it could come about.

The girls had been playing with the chicks most of the day, taking them out of the coop one at a time and playing with her for a while, and then trading for another chick. So they would have noticed if anything was seriously amiss. Late in the afternoon I was walking toward the coop and saw this flurry of activity. The chicks were all flying up in the air and making all sorts of noise. When I got close I realized they were all pecking each other. When I got really close, I realized that one of them was completely lacking tail feathers and was raw and bloody. Then I realized there were three of them like that, and they were even pecking each other. It was gross.

So I separated them, and spent the next 24 hours in crisis mode, trying to figure out how to stop the pecking, keep the injured chicks separate, and get bigger quarters for them (since it was most likely caused by overcrowding).

In the end, we ended up with this bigger coop in the back yard, and I take them inside each evening (because we've had a coyote nearby) and outside each morning. It's a pain, but they are much much happier, and I've even been able to put the three birds back in with the rest.


So all is well now.

Four-Week-Old Chicks

I haven't posted much on our chicks. The first two weeks, the kids (especially Lee) played with them constantly. I couldn't get her out of the basement. She would sit down there and make potholders or read Calvin and Hobbes for hours with a chick on her lap. She had her favorite ones (I'm not sure she can really tell them apart, but then again she's spent a lot more time with them than I have).

Then, they got bigger and started to molt, and she suddenly lost interest.

It wasn't until the weather got nice this week that suddenly the chicks were interesting, because now they could play outside with them!

Here is what they look like now. They've got most of their feathers, and they really look like chickens (as opposed to little sparrows).

Mad Libs

Today we were leaving to drive to Riverwoods for Mother's Day, and the kids were all out doing Mad Libs with Elsbeth. It was the kind of impromptu thing that is so nice about living here.

Sometimes it is hard to drag the kids away, though!

Tulips From My Garden

Pigs!

There are five of them there (they kind of sleep on top of one another). We'll put them out in the field in a few weeks, and then raise them until they reach 200 pounds in the fall, and then have them slaughtered.

One reason to have pigs is that they help dig up the soil in areas where it is very compacted.

They're pretty wild right now but we hope they'll get a bit more friendly.

Trip to NYC

We had fabulous four-day visit to NYC, the highlight of which was seeing The Lion King (thank you, Aunt Lee!).

I've created a separate photo book for this trip.

Goth Girl

When did she turn into Goth Girl? Actually, she told me that she's been wearing all black because it attracts the sun and makes her warmer.

Tiger Waving to Clara

Bye, I'll see you after my bath!