A Chicken Story (With a Lot of Links)

Back in February, Joe bought five chickens.  Anna, Beulah, Canaan, Delilah, and Esther.  I can't say that I was happy with that decision, but so far it has worked out okay.  They stay in their pen and I stay out of it.  Joe and the boys take care of the egg gathering, watering, and feeding.  My only job is to name them.
The first week of April, Anna began setting.  She had six eggs that she sat on day and night in hopes of raising some little chicks.  The boys were thrilled at the prospect of baby chicks, but a snake got in and ate the eggs out from under her when they were just about ready to hatch.  Of course I was sad for the boys, but I was more upset that we even had a snake!!!
In the meantime, the next door neighbor lady (privacy fence neighbor, not loose dog neighbor or 911 neighbor) had a hen setting on eggs and heard about the snake eating Anna's eggs.  She felt sorry for the boys and last week when her hen hatched out 13 chicks, she called to see if we wanted them to raise.  My initial reaction was NNOOOOO WAY ON EARTH ARE WE RAISING 13 MORE CHICKENS!!! a little bit hesitant but I allowed myself to be talked into it and we went over this past Friday night and gathered the baby chicks along with the momma hen.  The neighbor lady wants her hen back after the chicks are old enough to be on their own.  Baby chicks have to stay with the momma hen until they get enough feathers to keep themselves warm.  (Or so I am told)  Anyway, our four hens and a rooster have now turned into NINETEEN birds.
When we went to go get the chicks and I asked what the hen's name was, the neighbor lady looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Chicken."  I guess maybe I am the only one who names chickens around here. I really am excited to start working on names for the thirteen babies.  I just wish I knew if they were girls or boys hens or roosters.  I'm assuming I have to wait until they get feathers or those nasty looking red things on their heads before I can tell.  I'm surely not getting close enough to tell any other way!
So that is our chicken story.  The kids are loving taking care of and playing with the baby chicks. When Noah learns how to work the camera I will let him take a picture of them, since I don't go in the pen...EVER!