Here a Chick- There a chick...

Besides the many turkeys and chickens that run around the farm, we got new baby chicks! So exciting! They are being raised as meat chickens.

The kids love them. They love to watch them...

To sing to them (MM esp likes to "sing them to sleep," where she holds them and sings until they close their eyes...)

But most of all, they like to climb in their cage and hold them. 

 

Henry likes to hold onto their tails, put them on their perching bar and then push them off. You should see his face; he does it all in love

 

 

All under the watchful eye of Hannah, a sweet dog who lounges around close by.

We are learning a lot about raising chickens.  Most of the chickens are pastured, meaning that they get to run around all day. But the chicks are being kept in little wire chicken trailers that we move each day so the chicks get access to clean grass.  Moving the chicks is sometimes a challenge. Today, a little chick's foot got caught and he was injured.  We took him inside and Dawn (our landlord/mentor around the farm) taught us how to clean him up and put scarlet oil on his wounds.  Margaret Mary was very determined to help the chick feel better and sat beside him keeping him company for a while. She also named him "Ouchy."  While cleaning his wounds tonight, we saw that his bone is sticking straight out of his leg...ouch.  We hope he is able to heal!

Sometimes when we're out working in the garden, MM will look up and see the chickens running by, and then she takes off after them yelling "Chicken race!"  The chickens usually win.  Henry, on the other hand, stays in the garden till the job is done.  But he does join in the chicken races sometimes when he needs a break.