A mother hen, I am not. But for the chicks hatched from eggs last month, I’m as close as it gets.

Using a $40 incubator, we got a hatch of 12 chicks. We intended to give half of them away, but couldn’t part with quite that many, so we still have eight. Among those that hatched are three “fathered” by Mr. Mukluks, our huge buff cochin rooster. They have feathered feet, just like he does.

I also bought eggs on the internet of a Welsummer and Americana cross.  We have both of those breeds laying right now, and they are produce brown and blue eggs, respectively. My hope is that hens from the cross will lay lovely and unusual olive-colored eggs.

Then there are the Cream Brabanters.  Oh my. A rare breed that is said to have gone extinct in 1900 and been recreated in 1920, these are among the most remarkable-looking chickens I’ve ever seen. I was on a little egg buying spree (might as well fill up that incubator, you know), so I ordered a few of those eggs, too. Two hatched. These chicks, hysterical in both looks and psych status,  seem to have the same stylist as American Idol finalist Adam Lambert. I adore them and can’t wait until they start growing twin horn-shaped combs!

The little peepers are about 25 days old now, and their downy fuzz is being supplanted by feathers. This gives them a slightly prehistoric look that suggests an era of bad hair days. Though not at their photogenic apex, it’s still fascinating to see them grow and change, literally overnight.

Like lots of us, I’ve been busy planting the garden lately. But I try to take time every day to be a good chicken mama. I think it’s important to teach my little charges to appreciate some of the finer things in life: Worms and broccoli, friends and naps, cool breezes and warm sun.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 at 8:01 am and is filed under Chickens, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.