Spring chicken

 The title definitely doesn't refer to me, but we'll get to introductions later.

I thought showing off our first clutch of chicks as they're hatching would be a nice place to start.

Exactly a year ago we got our latest batch of hens, and a rooster. We lost two, but the remaining girls have given us a steady supply of eggs. We've sold some, eaten a few, and even traded a couple for a bale of hay for bedding. 

We bought a small incubator a while back, and tried it, unsuccessfully. I nearly lost heart, but decided to get a better incubator and try again. Yesterday, after 21 days on the spot, we saw little cracks in three of the 11 eggs.


We kept watch throughout the day, and finally one little guy made an appearance!


This morning two more had joined the crew, and yesterday's arrival had gotten nice and fluffy. One more egg has a definite crack, but we're not giving up on the others yet either!


As you can guess, our learning topic has been chickens for the past few days. The kids have been so excited, they're actually checking on the chicks before they even have their breakfast (and as I am raising a bunch of Hobbits, that is a miracle!)

What a lovely chicken-versary gift, and a fun hands-on learning opportunity!

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