Baby Chicks

Have had a very busy week with hatching baby chickens, visiting in-laws and Tai Chi. Had lots of cuppas out with the in-laws which has been nice. I also did a Tai Chi demonstration with my group for Seniors week, we do it every year and it all went very well, everyone looked great.

We have had four baby chicks hatch out, unfortunately, one has died. The other three however are very strong and being looked after by two mothers.

The chickens have obviously not read the book on what they should and shouldn’t be doing as they are doing things that we haven’t read about. Like sharing mothering duties, sharing nesting boxes, we have seen three in the one box, plus the babies.

The babies are very cute with black markings, one has a complete racing strip down its back. Don’t they grow fast? Feathers start growing straight away and they get bigger while we watch them. I really hope they are all girls as we can’t keep boys.

There is a reality about having animals and that is the life and death cycle that comes with it all. The weak ones are rejected, some die, some are picked on by others if they are different. Watching the social structure and interaction, the hierarchy and togetherness. It is all fascinating, but sometimes harsh, and while I understand the whole thing that it is nature, it doesn’t mean I can’t be sad about it.

However, I also can rejoice in it too, the new life that we are watching and the way they look after each other is wonderful.

OK, back to being very busy. We are off to the markets tomorrow and I hope to get some seed potatoes to plant, and maybe some other stuff too. The in-laws go home next week and then back to routine, for a while at least.