Every year during the spring an average of about a dozen birds gets added to the collective population of the barn. This year had its share of the new birds except, many of them were added during the summer, including one added merely a week ago. Yes, I am talking about the homegrown babies that Butterscotch and Peach hatched. With a combined eight babies between them, I think they did a very fantastic job! One week ago today, I was still at camp Kieve having a great time, except that it is not the reason to be excited, one week ago one of my blue cochins hatched a baby chick! One chick sounds like nothing compared to the seven that Butterscotch hatched in mid July, but take no credit away from Peach, hatching a single egg is a very tough task and she did a great job. I feel some empathy for one of the other blues (blue cochins) named Sassy who was unsuccessful in her attempt to hatch a few eggs, by now I'm sure she has moved on and is probably looking forward to next spring/ summer when she will get another try.
When I walk into the barn, there is the unmistakable high pitched chirping of the babies chatting with their mothers. The excitement that both the babies and the mothers show for each other is amazing. Of course the mothers are happy to teach their children basic necessities of what to eat and what not to eat, while the babies are eager to learn. As I approach Butterscotch's coop holding a fresh corn cob, she immediately and easily gather her babies by calling them over. As they lock their eyes on the cob of corn, nothing else matters, All they want at that moment is to sink their beaks into the big, fat, juicy kernels of corn. It is great to see that something so simple as a cob of corn makes these birds so genuinely happy. Since today is the one week anniversary of Peach's baby, Fudge, being born I think will celebrate by giving her some mushed up corn that will be nice and easy for her to eat. If there is one thing that can be gathered form these amazingly cute babies it is that they are the future of the barn an will be for years to come.