nothing says spring like baby chicks!

our little black rogue hen hatched a gazillion baby chickens on sunday/monday. some are hers. some are pure turken babies (that the turken hens layed in her nest). she couldn't have timed it better. the weather has been beautiful this week with a break in the rain. and today it is supposed to get up to a sunny 80 degrees! here are a few photos of the baby chicken brigade out for a stroll.

what's up doc?

so i met with pulmonary specialist this week. still trying to figure out what is going on with my lungs. i am having a new test run next week. hopefully, that will shed some light as i feel i have wasted the first 3 months of 2010 in medical limbo.

i need to get back to life. back to reality. we are knee deep in pre-gardening season and i have to get to work on my garden plot. jason tilled it last week. so now, it just needs raking and ground cover (straw) for weed management. but i get so winded and tired after only an hour of work that i'm only getting about one row done a day. but that's how you eat an elephant. one bite at a time. and by the end of next week, my garden should be all ready for seeds.

i'm also going to have to rabbit proof (chicken wire) the garden as armel jr and josephine jr (i know i really should come up with more original names but they look EXACTLY like their mom & dad) are completely wild and have access to all fields until we re-do the rabbit field and make it baby-rabbit-proof.

armel jr & josephine jr hangin while little bit supervises

the ducks are still sitting. chicken little still sitting. and oh, i do believe we are expecting piglets in may as well. i happened to witness "the act" back in february. the gestation period of a pig is 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days. and i do believe ms penelope is starting to show. i think she will make a wonderful mother. samson is requesting cuban cigars if anybody knows where we can get contra ban?

proud mom to be (cloven hooves crossed)

the chicken who thinks she is a duck.

we've got this rogue chicken. she is super tiny. a result of a game-bird rooster and one of our americauna hens breeding. she's a little runty thing. and has recently abandoned her chicken family in the chicken house, preferring the company of ducks in the big barn. i usually see her early in the morning by the pond while the ducks are taking baths. she follows them around and tries to blend in. well, yesterday morning, i didn't see her down by the pond. and i also didn't see two of our female ducks. the ducks have been building nests in the barn for a week or so. and i have been hoping they would start sitting. meanwhile, our little black chicken has been building her own nest of eggs a few feet away from one of the duck nests but separated by the kidding pen wall. well, guess who started sitting too?

chicken little nesting pretty

thankfully, there is a male turken (transylvanian naked neck chicken) who lives in the barn with a couple of his ladies. so the eggs are fertilized. in 21 days we should have baby chickens. lord knows what they will look like. tiny black chickens with naked necks. can't wait!