There are few things more adorable than baby chickens. We’ve got four new ones joining our flock this year, and I’ve been so engrossed with them that I’ve neglected sharing pictures with you. These sweet little girls showed up on May 30 as day old chicks. Now, at almost a month old, they’re entering the gawky, molting stage and are about to get their real feathers in.
My husband demanded naming rights and promptly bestowed the names of four legendary Vance family siblings from a few generations back: Guida, Leeda, Omeleta, and Toot. I don’t make the rules (or give chickens names, apparently).
Each of the chicks is a different breed. The names run from darkest to lightest, starting with Guida who is a Dominique. Leeda is a Cuckoo Blue Bar. Omeleta is a Blue Orpington and should grow to be the biggest of the four, and Toot is a Frost White Legbar. Toot and Leeda should both lay blue eggs, although it will be late fall or even early next year before we get there and find out for certain. But I’m utterly obsessed with them. They fly up on the lid of their brooding box, or sometimes, straight onto my shoulders or even the top of my head, as soon as I open it. And they’re very chatty. When they’re indoors, they’re in my office, and the let me know if I go too long without taking a break to play with them.
These chicks all have big personalities and they seem to have already attracted the protective instincts of both of our dogs who watch over them with great interest. Even our cat Harry, who has been hanging out by the coop where they’re spending some time every day, seems to have interest but no intention of eating them, although I’m not giving him enough access to test that out.
Weirdly, it’s the big chickens who seem to have no interest in the little ones whatsoever. I’ve tried cucumbers as bribes, but we don’t seem to have anyone with maternal instincts at the moment. Cross your fingers for me that changes, as I’d like to have a stand in Mom before I’m willing to let them stay outside without one of the humans around.
Sunday night I’ll be back with our weekly edition of The Week Ahead. There is a crazy lot going on next week, so I hope you’re getting to enjoy your weekend, although I know we’re all keeping an eye on what’s going on in Russia as we go about the weekend. I’ll say it again—I am incredibly happy we’re living through this moment with Joe Biden in the White House, not Donald Trump. I feel quite certain that’s also the view of most Republicans, whether they’re willing to admit it or not.
We’re in this together,
Joyce
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