Baby Chicks

Such a lovely sound coming out of the bathroom - chirps and trills of little birds. Funny how all my life I've wanted exotic birds and am now so happy with my chickens. They are amazing animals - so hardy, courageous and self-sufficient, that is, if they survive chickhood. When I was rushing around yesterday morning before the men got busy doing their nasty work, I threw out some corn for Baby Thunder and some goat mommies, along with the free-range barn chickens. Mother Hen who was dutifully raising a dozen newly hatched chicks upstairs in the upper hay mow was overcome with desire for the corn and jumped down the hole, leaving her panicked babies upstairs. A couple were standing at the hole calling her and the others were huddled together. I climbed the ladder and approached the group that scattered instantly. What to do, what to do. As smart as mother chicks are, I wasn't sure if she could get outside and make her way all the way around my very long barn to enter the upstairs mow and get her chicks back. One chick jumped down the hole, a very long fall, and seemed to be okay. I decided to catch as many chicks as I could and went about scooping them up. Not easy. It took a few minutes but the pockets of my Carhartt was full of baby chicks. One I couldn't catch and might still be up there. I looked outside and there was Randy and his father, setting up to take care of my sheep. I said hello and got out of there quick. My first inclination was to give the chicks back to mom, then thought better of it. I saw her, happily foraging with her one baby and decided to give her a break. I don't think chickens can count. They go about their business and made a clucking beacon for the chicks, expecting them to follow. Most chicks do follow and have her protection. I'll never forget finding a clutch of dead chicks in a window well. They must have jumped down in it with mom, then couldn't jump out. Mom probably stayed with them and eventually abandoned hope. chickens are fabulous mothers. I have a family of 12 teenaged chickens following their mother around out in the barnyard now. It's hilarious to watch them, as mom is tiny and the babies are bigger than she is.
I'm not one to take babies away from mothers in any case, but this time I decided to take the babies inside. Holly is ecstatic to have chicks in the bathroom again. There are nine, a big bunch, and I'll need a bigger box pretty soon. They are loving their chick feed and playing in the water dish. Their light bulb keeps the bathroom cozy and warm.