Thursday, June 16, 2011

Welcome to the Farm??

So I am going to choose to share this story with you through the lens that God created me as an empathetic creature.  I am hoping in doing this I will look less crazy and more just like someone who needs to hone her gifting.


Ok, so this is how it started. 
I was born and I loved animals.  Did you know that I once cared for a dead robin for a whole day? Yup I did such a good job that the next morning when I went to check on him he was gone.  My mom told me he had flown home...(good one mom).
Flash forward 25 years.
I am now a photographer and I had a great opportunity to use some baby chickens as a part of a photo session for a family that owns a chicken farm.  It was so fun. (watch for them on my Twisted Lily Blog in the next few days...sooo cute!!)


Anyway at the end of the session these little chick models were homeless.  They couldn't go back into the  barns and risk cross contaminating the barns with whatever 'wee beasties' they picked up in the real world. In other words they were gonna die. Approximately 6 weeks ahead of schedule.
I shouldn't have let it get to me but I just felt for the little homeless chicks.  One short conversation later I was the proud? mom of 6 baby chicks.As I drove home with them sliding around in the cardboard box next to me - I tried to make a plan.
Actually I am still working on it. Mostly its a day by day thing.


Here are somethings I have learned in my 4 days as a chicken owner.


*Puppies laying next to chicks are NOT trying to be cute - they are waiting for the opportune moment to eat them. 
*Respectively if you act fast enough you can grab a chick out of a dogs mouth with no apparent damage other than a mad chick and disappointed dog.
*Neighbours will follow your lead and 'rescue' small baby birds and leave them in your care (Short version of how we acquired Quacker Jack our duck)
*If you live in a small enough town you can literally walk into a convenience store and walk out with a huge bag of chicken feed - and a slurpee.
*Chickens take over your life when you are so afraid of something happening to them you let them sleep in your en suite bathroom every night.


After reading that last one I realized I might just be crazy and need some help. Ah well.

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