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.

happy father's day little jim!

our two other broody hens hatched 17 chicks yesterday. we have chicks a plenty! what a father's day present for little jim!

first chick moments after hatching

more chick pix...

the first rook farm born & bred chicks are well on their way, following mom's instructions, pecking and scratching and looking adorable.

i'm so good lookin'

thinkin'bout scratch

mom and chick

auntie goodie congratulates queeny

mom says, "enough with the paparazzi!"

rook farm chicks...

the very first born and bred. four babies hatched yesterday. born to the proud parents of queeny and little jim. well done! cigars for everyone! i promise better pictures soon to come. mom's a bit protective right now.

queeny protecting the kids

little jim struttin' his stuff

bye bye birdie.

i am sorry to report that floppy the twisted-neck chick didn't make it. she was doing so good. was up and walking and eating on her own. but it just wasn't in the cards for her. she took a turn for the worse and stopped walking and eating. i kept dosing her with gruel and vitamin water. and i made sure she was peaceful, well-hydrated, and loved in her final hours. mother nature had other plans for her. perhaps she has flown off to be chelsea's sidekick. chelsea loved birds.

chelsea

unempty nest.

so cripple creek moved back outside this past weekend along with patrik. i thought my life would be free of invalid animals. but low and behold, one of our baby chickens came down with a strange neurological disorder. she has a twisted neck which in baby chickens is usually caused by a vitamin deficiency. so i've got her in the baby chicken infirmary (aka back in the incubator since it can maintain a constant regulated temperature). and i've been dosing her with an eyedropper full of vitamin infused water. i'm hoping this will do the trick. she hasn't been able to walk due to the floppy head. but she did manage to stand and eat on her own for a few seconds today. baby steps.

on a brighter note... the first chick to hatch is doing brilliantly. we are calling her blondie because she's quite the outlaw. she's actually a pretty reddish color.

that's blondie in the middle. what a beauty!

the 2nd rook farm birth.

guido was the first baby born here on the rook farm. he will be turning 6 months old in februrary! but today we celebrate the birth of the 2nd, and soon to be 3rd, 4th, 5th.... we have incubated a couple dozen eggs donated by the fine hens of my aunt-in-law, glenda. here is a pic of the first one to break out of her shell. (sorry so blurry, but she needs to stay inside the incubator for a while).

first chick born

the next in line...