Scared ya’ didn’t I? I’m so funny I forgot to laugh. So about chickens…When we last left this topic I had borrowed three little chicks from my Dad to take to a Jr. Veterinarian Camp hosted by Montgomery Public Schools. I was just one of the presenters during this two-day program to introduce kids to various animals and the care required to raise them. I actually followed a miniature horse! I had put out a request for someone to wear my chicken suit for the program because it’s too hard for the kids to pay attention to a lecturing chicken (me) and plus, HAVE YOU EVER HAD A HOT FLASH IN JUNE IN ALABAMA IN A CHICKEN SUIT??? I thought not!  A neighbor and friend (Tina) volunteered her niece who had actually served as her school’s mascot in high school.

Thank you Natalie!!!!

She let the kids “pet” her and she took some great photos with them as well.

Have you hugged your chicken today?

She even performed the “chicken dance” although we had to improvise the music.

After the brief lecture on the glories of chickens and how to raise them in a humane environment, the kids filed out into the hall for a session of holding some sweet, fluffy, peeping handfuls of love.

I had to explain about chicken poop and we had the paper towels and hand sanitizer at the ready!

Unfortunately, by the time I took the chicks to the camp one of them did not make the trip. Sometimes babies are born deformed and it became painfully clear that one bird had deformed legs and would never walk.

God bless the little guy. 😦

 I kept him fed and hydrated for three days hoping his little legs would straighten out on their own, but when I saw he was not gaining weight, I called Dr. Glasscock to euthanize him for me. He went without a peep and she made sure he died peacefully.

So sorry.

My hero, Dr. G.

But the other two babies grew and played and ate and pooped like champion chickens and I enjoyed having a little chicken farm for a few days. Eventually I took them back to Daddy who marveled that they were twice as big as the rest of their hatchlings. He accused me of giving them steroids, but I just stated the obvious. I am a much better chicken farmer than he is!

Chickens have come home to roost!

Their nest mates were still in the brooder so I put my two in with them. You can see them (far right). They are indeed significantly bigger than their sibs who hatched the same day.

Hey look at the BRUISERS!

The next morning Daddy used his super sophisticated chicken transport system..

A dirty old bucket.

to release all the chicks into the outdoor brooder in the barn, where they had more room to run around and grow.

I marveled at a cute mama bantam hen and her tiny babies! You can barely see them camouflaged in the leaves.

Compare this fully grown mama to Daddy’s truck tire. ITSY BITSY!

So thus ends another chicken adventure at the Burlingame Kitty, Bunny, Chicken Farm, Duck and Turtle sanctuary. I’m always up for new animal adventures so please keep ’em comin’! Hint: I’ve always wanted a pygmy goat so if you see a homeless one, you know where to bring him.