Tiny tiny chicks

So, here we have it. Year two and our own chicken eggs and chicks hatched out of our own incubator. I sort of get the giggles when I think about all this DIY stuff we've accomplished. As I type this, there are 12 chicks. Maybe more, not sure yet. We've had some loss and I am much less emotional dealing with the loss compared to last year. Folks who do this hatching thing a lot probably would think I'm a bit silly getting emotional about these little chicks, but last year my heart felt heavy when we lost some. This year, I understand more that it's a part of the process.  I don't know if it's good or not so good that I'm at the "it is what it is" point now.  Well, I guess "it is what it is".  I don't think my heart could keep getting into this farming thing without coping a little better with loss.  Anyway, onto the celebration.

Audra is in "tiny tiny" heaven. She'd seriously hold a chick all.day.long. Adrian wants to push them around in his dump truck or tractor, but it's not time for that yet. When my kids aren't holding the chicks, they are watching them. In fact, I got little checked off my to do list since they hatched because with chicks is where we are at. Just the littles and me some of the time and we were lucky to share these chicks with some good friends. 

We're currently at 59 chickens (layers, roosters and chicks), plus we have a broody hen with 11 viable eggs. And then my husband asks if we're collecting eggs for the next round in the incubator.  Goodness, he's got the bug now too. 

Onto the pictures. They mostly are of her, as she's so 'motherly', talking to them, whispering to them, assuring them that all is going to be okay. So stinking cute! Here's our babies, some with overalls and some with beaks and wings. Some clean and fluffy, brand new. Some completely dirty, bumped, scratched and bruised from warm weather fun.  These chicks are well loved already.