Can it ever truly be spring without chicks?

This morning was an unusual morning to say the least.  I woke and remained awake at 3:30 a.m.  Finally at 5:00 a.m., I shoved the covers away determined to make the most of my extra long day.  After working out on the treadmill and at Curves, I came home and was determined to clean out the hen house.  Mike got right on board.  As I shoveled, swept, bleached, and refilled fresh pine bedding, he replaced a pane of glass that had been broken over the winter.  My heart sang as we removed the wadded up towel that had been a makeshift draft preventer.  A few well placed staples from the trusty staple gun and the loose chicken wire reinforcing the door was back in place.  I love spring!  Even the cleanup is inspiring.  I think my hens really appreciated all the sprucing up as well.

We were so inspired by our industriousness, that we decided to clean out all the bluebird houses on our 18 acres of conservation land.  I have been watching pairs of bluebirds check out potential nest boxes for the last two weeks.  Now they are ready for occupancy.

Since by now it was lunch time and we were starving, we headed into Dundee for lunch and a quick trip to our favorite Tractor Supply Store.  I was sooo good.  Really, I was.  I walked past the adorable little chicks not even attempting to talk my husband into another clutch of fuzzy black cuteness.  However, the sales person must have tuned into some kind of hidden desire of mine.  She walked up to Mike and I and said, these are the last ones and they're half off!  I looked at the sign and ohhhhh!  they were Auracaunas!  Those wonderful, stern looking hens that lay beautiful blue and green eggs!

Half off!  Really?  They were...but they were not Auracaunas.  Turns out they were a breed (can't recall which exactly) that were excellent egg layers AND meat chickens.  Well, that got Mike's attention.  Meat?  Yup.  Box them up.

So we came home, and I spent the next hour shoveling, sweeping, bleaching, refilling bedding in the old goose house!  After adding the necessary heat lamp and draft blocks, the chicks were nestled into their new home.  You'd think this was the end of the story but when we got into the house there was a message on the answering machine from a woman whom I spoke with over a year ago.  She was wondering if I still wanted a pair of Sebastapol geese.

I think I'll clean out the old duck house tomorrow!