Spring Chickens

The chickens arrived today. 

The phone rang at 6:30 this morning and I knew it was the post office calling to tell me the chicks arrived and are ready to be picked up. I went back to sleep and dreamt of chickens for another couple hours.

Other customers at the post office were amazed that chickens get sent through the mail. I thought I lived in farm country out here and everyone would know that already.

I put the chicks in a cow trough in my laundry room, replete with newspaper & wood chips floor, two, count 'em TWO feeders, a waterer full of electrolyte juice and a toasty heat lamp. 

Wallace watched from his transparent rubbermaid penthouse on top of the dryer as I put each chick in the trough and dipped their beaks in the water. By the time I had put the 30th chick in, Wallace was having a shitfit, quacking and banging up against his penthouse wall, so I put him in with the chicks expecting all of them to gang up on him.

The chicks pecked at Wallace and he pecked back but it didn't take to long for them to get used to each other.

I could watch the chicks for hours. I love it when they fall asleep on their feet. I love it when they suddenly dart across the trough. I love it when they poop and make that "splut" noise like the sound that comes out of the ketchup bottle when you're squeezing out the last bit...