I walked into the barn to do chores this afternoon and was greeted by baby chicks peeping. BABY CHICKS!????!!!!
www.country-threads-chicken-scratch
What the ——???
Sure enough – there was Mama Hen clucking her little heart out on the floor but I still heard peeping above my head. I got the ladder and scooped up 3 tiny chicks from the rafters in one palm and brought them down to Mama.
Oh, as Becky said, for the love of God, I do not want baby chicks in February. If I could be guaranteed they were all hens, I wouldn’t care but what am I going to do if they’re all roosters????? And what if it gets bitter cold again?
When I left the barn, Mama was sitting on all the chicks again. As soon as I got to the house I sent Reed the pictures. And he called me – he can’t wait to see them tomorrow!
And I forgot to tell you about what’s happening in Clear Lake tonight at the Surf Ballroom – it’s “the night the music died”, the Buddy Holly tribute. 60 years ago this weekend Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper played a concert at the Surf and then left in a small plane that crashed a few miles from here. The Buddy Holly Tribute is held the first weekend in February every year with music from the 50’s and 60’s, concerts, sock hop and memorabilia. People come from very far away and it has developed into a community event. Becky has a ticket for tonight – they aren’t easy to come by. Thank goodness people aren’t coming out in bitter cold weather! I remember sitting at breakfast the morning after the Surf performance when the news announced the three famous singers and the pilot had been killed. 60 years ago – I was 10.
What to do if it gets cold again…… kitchen…..
Just started a light snowing here again! Congratulations on the new wee PEEPS! I hope they will be cozy warm with their mama!
Happy Groundhog Day.
It’s so great that the community remembers that horrible event every year. All great musicians.
Babies!!!! Who’d a thunk it! Ah…Ritchie Valens, “J. P.” Richardson Jr., and Buddy Holly…Clear Lake, IA. May they Rest In Peace.
-Jean ❤
Luana is right! Happy Groundhogs Day. And, Suzie Q is right…the kitchen. Hopefully, there will be no more extreme cold for you and the mama will keep them warm. What fun! How many are there? You could always put a note up at the feed store to give away (or sell) young roosters, later on when you know what they are, that is. Might be just the ticket for someone. They can’t all be roos, can they?
I sure hope the baby chicks survive, it would be terrible if they don’t! My hens have never sat on their eggs, until Nancy, one of my beautiful blond buff orpingtons got broody very early last spring. When the eggs didn’t hatch I happened to be buying grain when Tractor supply put out day old chicks. Oh a whim, I bought three and when I got the to the hen house in their little traveling box, Nancy heard them peeping and started clucking with excitement. Nancy is a love and has never pecked at anyone until I reached under her to take the old eggs, she went crazy and tried to peck my hands. I immediately scooped up the chicks and put them under her. She half stood up, stuck her head under herself as if to count how many babies were there and then settled down peacefully. She became the best mom, she didn’t care that the were reds!
I’ll keep my fingers crossed that your new babies prosper. I love watching those beautiful little creatures grow and how protective the moms are to their offspring.
Linda S – wonderful story! I’ve done things like that before, giving one hen a couple chicks from another who had many chicks. I just can’t have more roosters! I have 4 right now and there can’t be another!
oh…I forgot to say. You were only 10? I was 19 at the time. It must have been very shocking for your area to have that happen so close by. And, it’s great that they are remembered each year. May they all Rest in Peace.
The “babies” are wonderful and sooooo sweet. If it gets cold again, you will have to take them in your
house. I raised chicks for a 4-H PROJECT many, many years ago and I had to take them into our kitchen.
The farm house had a wood stove and they were perfectly happy. But my chicks came from the feed
store and didn’t have a Mama. Thanks for sharing.
Congratulations on your new arrivals, I sure hope they are all little girls!
Babies never seem to come when the weather is perfect for their arrival! I agree with the kitchen if it gets cold again. Lambs, foals, calves and chicks don’t seem to get the memo that the weather isn’t conducive to an easy life during the winter!! I hope they are all hens and survive to increase your flock!
Ballrooms must be a Midwest thing. We don’t have them here in CO. Thinking I may need to move back to the Midwest. I miss things like that! Nice that you all remember Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, ad the Big Bopper with an annual tribute.
Congrats on your new additions. I hope they are all girls!! Or that someone else nearby needs roosters. I remember my Grandma’s chicken house and going there with her to collect eggs. I do wish I had had the opportunity to live on a farm. Is that in my future????
Mary, you are the best friend an animal could have….God bless.
Congratulations! They could come in my house, but 8’m awful far away-you’ll figure things out, you always do!
Baby chicks? How sweet! Has this happened to you befnore? Well, I hope they will make it OK and I hope that the three are girls. Sorry about your geese and now God has sent you chicks.
Felicia Hamlin – oh my yes, this happens a lot but Reed and I were trying to be so consistent on looking for eggs in the rafters and not letting a hen set on any. Darn it!
One of my Texas neighbors was married to Buddy Holly’s cousin. I was 17 when they died. We were all so sad.
Your baby chicks are so cute. Reed will really have fun tomorrow when he meets the babies.
In one picture it looks like there are 4 baby chicks. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me? You gotta admit they are cute even if they turn out to be roosters! Congrats .
Linda B – there are 6 chicks – 3 black ones and 3 light striped ones. The two you don’t see are under Mama – she can fluff out those wings to cover a dozen chicks if she needed to.
The chicks are great..and Mama taking care of them..
What a nice tribute to Holly,Valens and Big Bopper..I remember them well, Valens was from Southern California..my friend new DONNA..who he did the song ..
Please take care, keep warm..with those quilts you make..
Katie in Gilbert, AZ..
The chicks are so cute! For your sake hope they are hens. My husband listened to Buddy Holly all the time and still does. My first trip to CT Quilt camp included a trip out to the Surf ballroom to see where his last performance was. Super Bowl Sunday. GO PATS!
Joanne – did you also visit the crash site? My barn radio was playing all Buddy Holly music yesterday – when I was discovering the chicks! Pray for hens! We’ll be watching the game!
No just the ballroom. Love listening to him sing.
I love your adventures!
I was 13 the day the music died and remember the news.
The baby chicks are so cute! Good luck! I haven’t had chickens for several years, but I do remember.
That must take some precision ‘hen laying’ to get eggs in the rafters. The cycle of life continues…
Mary, my mom was 14 and she was at the concert… she had all their autographs in a little book,
my grandmother threw it away later in life… can you imagine having that now ?
Robin Rauk – oh, what a shame! My mom threw away lots of stuff, too – must have been that generation of housewives. Can you imagine just remembering that concert at age 14?? Hugs to Libby, by the way!
Funny how those moments in time are etched in our memories. I lived in Madison, Wisconsin, right on Lake Monona, when Otis Redding crashed his plane into the lake. It was wintertime, and all the band but one was killed. There was a big boulder with a plaque put in on the town end of the lake some time after the tragedy. It is a vivd memory for me. I was in the 7th grade.
I love your chickies! My sister in law used to put the title ones in a playpen in the kitchen when it was cold out.
oops! I meant to type’ little ones’ and had a correction error!