Mrs. McDonald??

Old McDonald had the farm and on the farm, he had some chickens....but Mrs. McDonald was surely the chicken guru. I can just see her in her kerchief and apron, flinging scratch out across the chicken yard.  I can hear the chickens clucking  and cackling to each-other as if sharing the latest gossip. I can feel her excitement build as hens grow broody and thoughts of new babies invade her peaceful mind.

I can relate.

To me, chicks are dang near the cutest barn yard critter.  Don't get me wrong, all newborns are adorable.  There's just something so cute about that teeny-tiny, fluffy little fluff balls that make me wanna love'em and hug'em and squeeze'em and call 'em George or Fluffy.

My name is Katie and I have an addiction....I am a chick-a-holic.

I am not alone in my addiction.  Four of my closest farm-girlfriends are just as consumed as I.  I have it so bad I started a fan page (well, I made my friend Alexis do it for me cuz she's much better at that techno stuff than I....thanks Lex!) ...for chick-a-holics.  Its a safe place for all us crazy chicken folk to share, commiserate, drool over newly found breeds or ask questions.

The latest craze is by far the most consuming.  We call it "The Bator" or cheap-Styrofoam-beer-cooler-turned-incubator. The Bator is the creation of my farm-chickie heroine, Cara.  Cara fell madly in love with my Silkie chickens of which, 3 out of 5 happened to be of the crowing variety.  So, she hatched a plan to acquire for herself some fluffy bottomed chicks. After a quick trip to The WalMarts and a jaunt out to the Calamity Hen House, Cara had all she needed to start her own in home incubation center. And start she did.  Best of all, the plan worked.  The beer cooler turned incubator actually hatched out live chicks.

Well, I was hooked.

I borrowed The Bator, loaded it with 7 tiny Silkie eggs and waited.  And turned eggs.  And fretted. And candled. And fretted. And turned eggs.  And waited some more.

Then...yesterday, the most amazing thing happened!

They started to CRACK!

They started to HATCH!



Soon we had a chick, followed shortly thereafter by another chick.  So far, just two of the seven are out.  They are a Black/Cinnamon Splash.  The other five eggs are pipped and we are anxiously awaiting the new arrivals.  I almost can't contain the squeals of delight.  My kids are ecstatic! We're gonna love'em and hug'em and squeeze'em and we're gonna call this one... George.

Welcome to Calamity Farm George. *squeeeal*




P.S.
While I was busy playing Mrs. McDonald I totally forgot my plan to celebrate my Blogiversay. As of June 6 Katie's Calamities is four years old.

Happy Blogiversary to me! Here's to four more year of Calamity fun!