About the Chicks
May 8, 2008 by Cass
Okay, since you guys asked so nicely, I’ll tell you the story of the chicks. But, as most of my stories are, it’s a long one. Ready?
We’ve always taken in baby animals and saved them. Birds most especially. A couple of years ago, Casey brought home a baby bird from the barn where she worked. Pippin immediately squealed, jumped up and down, and then claimed it for her own. She named him Riley.
For weeks, Pippin fed Riley every few hours- even at night. She carried him around on her shoulder, he’d perch on her book when she was reading, and she took him for walks outside. He would hop around between her feet as she walked around the yard. She even taught him how to hunt for insects. They were totally connected.
When it was time for Riley to fly, he lived in our back yard for about 2 weeks, and whenever Pippin would call him, he’d fly down and land on her shoulder. He tolerated the rest of us, after all we had to babysit when Pippin wasn’t home, but he truly loved Pippin. Then one day, after several days of trying to make him go, he finally flew away. Pippin was thrilled and crushed all at once. (sound familiar moms?)
We’ve had other babies since then that we’ve raised or rehabilitated and released. But none of them has bonded with us like Riley did with Pippin.
So when my sister said “Know anyone who wants a chick?”, Pippin immediately yelled excitedly ”ME!” while jumping up and down like a 3 year old.
Pippin doesn’t yell excitedl while jumping, normally. She’s way too cool for that. So when she does, you know she means business.
But you can’t get just one chick, right? Not when you have 2 daughters.
Pippin has a “guy friend” (wink wink) who lives on a farm. He says he’ll help her build a chicken cage for them when they’re bigger. That’ll be fun. But for now, they live in this contraption in Pip’s room:
High tech shit, right? They’re Rhode Island Reds, which is a common chicken used for laying eggs. They look like this when they’re grown:
(Pic swiped from wikipedia.)
Won’t that be handsome to have running amok in my yard? I know it might look tasty to you, but it looks cute to me. I’d have a cow too, if I had room. And Pippin wants a pig. Something tells me that if she fluttered her eyelashes just right, her Guy Friend might suddenly have the urge to have a baby pig on his farm that’s off limits to the meat man.
So, there ya go. The story of how I came to have 2 lil chicks running around my house. Now you know.
Amok amok amok!
“But I don’t want to be a pie!”
:o)
They are very cute. I had one chicken her name was Henny and she thought she was a dog, she would eat the dogs food and when people come up in the driveway should would cluck and chase them with the dogs
Very funny…She even slept curled up with the dogs outside 
Today I looked out in the rain to see my two kids in the coop with our three chickens. The kids had the chickens wrapped warmly in towels & they were taking turns reading and singing to the chickens. So sweet that I didn’t even complain when I had to wash a bunch of feathery towels this afternoon. What’s your 17-year-old (gulp) knitting, by the way? –Nancy in NC
Aaaaawwwww
You’re such a cool mom!
Thats so cool! I’d have a cow too! I adore cows! My kitchen is full of cows! And if I could have one in the back yard that would be even better!
That story about Pippin and Riley made me cry. Seriously. No joke, and today I wore black eyeliner. Smart that. Anyway…Thanks for sharing…and enjoy those little chickies….are you vegan or just vegetarian? I forget. I just hopped back on the veg wagon (I’ve been wavering for a while, then read “Skinny Bitch” and was able to pick a side..*L*) but I eat eggs and milk….for now.
Have a great Friday Cass.
Marie
Riley was such a cutie! In hawaii we were the house where every bird that fell, or pushed , from their nest was taken. Only one ever made it to be released. What is funny is this is the bird that i found a girlfriend expressing breastmilk into the birds food! But it seemed to have worked, he happily took off though and if we saw him again he didn’t make himself well known. So how about a goat to add to your collection. Milk, hair to spin…..
Pippin knows you can house train chickens, right? I had a pet rooster who would follow me into the house, ride in my car, etc., and NEVER pooped except in the yard. No one believes me, but Jackie was cool like that. We just started with his determination to fly into my lap as soon as the car stopped and I opened the door, and gradually increased his “inside time” and in the end, he could ride on my shoulder, follow me through the house, etc., for as long as I was doing whatever.
Looks like you need to add chicken farmer to your list of ‘labels’.
My husband wants to get horses, goats, cows, pigs, chickens…just something to raise. I don’t think our bird chasing dogs will get along with chickens. I have no use for cows (will not use them for meat and don’t really want to milk them). Horses are too expensive for us right now. Goats scare me with their mischievous behavior. I also have little use for pigs. (I would have a hard time looking at animals raised at my house as livestock but more like pets).
But….I think I may have him talked into raising some sheep in the near future.
Another great story. The chicks are adorable!
Back when I was little, about a hundred years ago, they actually GAVE AWAY dyed chicks at the variety store at Easter time! Horrid, I know.
Anyway, I had one, and it’s name was Peter Penny Tiny. The little thing would follow me around the house, and hot on the trail of both of us was my mom, with a Dairy Queen plastic spoon in her hand to scoop up any little “treasures” that my little chicky might happen to “drop”!
I know exactly why Pippin loves them!
As weird as it may be, I had a pet chicken growing up. I loved her. Her name was Coco. I raised her and she knew me. She laid eggs for us and I swore those were the best eggs EVER! I would come home from school and run into the backyard and Coco would come running to me. If she didn’t see me, I would call her and she would come. She would jump up on my lap and I would pet her. She was great. She got so old that the scales on her legs were gray!
She died peacefully of old age and was buried. Out of respect, my Mom didn’t cook chicken for close to 2 weeks. I think she thought that I might think she had cooked Coco!
Funny Mom. I knew she wouldn’t do that.
Pippin is in for a treat!
Pippin and Riley…reminded me of “are you my mother?” story. That is awesome, that bond they had.
Those chicks are getting big already!