“I rule this roost!”

In just two weeks the baby chicks have doubled in size.  They are now ready to be relocated, as they have outgrown the rabbit cage and the laundry room has become a feed store cum barnyard where getting any laundry clean is a questionable endeavor.  Armed with shovels and broom, we cleaned out the historic brooder house where the geese have been residing over the winter.  We had to make a few repairs, and after a thorough cleaning and fresh bag of wood chips, the chicks have a new home.  I crossed my fingers as I carried them out of their snug, warm indoor environment yesterday into a much larger space that seemed to dwarf them.  They huddled in the corner, chirping frantically and then began to move en masse toward the heat lamp.

“She just thinks she rules this roost!”

“They call me Marilyn . . . you know, that dishy blond?” . . . .

“I’m the shy, quiet type” . . . .

“There is nothing Polish about a name like Phyllis . . . I refuse to be called Phyllis!”

As the chicks grow, they take on personalities.  I think the chick above reminds me of Phyllis Diller, and she has a strong, clear chirp that stands out from the rest.  She seems to be more aware of her surroundings and quicker to react to a change in circumstances.  I have my fingers crossed that all these sweet chicks are pullets, or females.  Having a rooster named Phyllis would be too hilarious.

“Gee whiz–imagine that– more snow!” . . . .

After worrying over them all night, wondering if they would be warm enough, we awoke this morning to a fresh 4-6 inches of snow plastered on everything.  Good grief, it is April, after all.  It is supposed to be spring!  We bundled up and headed out the door at 6:00 a.m. to check on the chicks. The geese were bunched up in the snow outside their recently vacated brooder house and protested loudly when we arrived, as if to say, “hey you guys, who locked us out?  We could freeze out here!”  It seems we planned for everything but the weather.  After waiting all winter for snow, it is arriving in April.