Welcome Home Little Chicks

I gingerly unfastened the box of chicks from the front seat, where I had secured them with the passenger seat belt for the 3 minute drive home from the post office. My children raced inside and told their Papa that we were welcoming home our little chicks. I handed my husband the camera and prepared to open up our chirping box. I had read the chick care instructions and knew that I had to feed the chicks their special revitalizing gel and introduce each one to the water supply. The care instructions also warned us that it might not be a good idea to open the box in front of children in case a baby chick died in route. My husband and I had warned our boys ahead of time that this might happen so we were prepared to let them watch regardless. This is when I get a little nervous. Not because I was worried about dead chicks, but because I want to make sure these delicate little lives have a good start. I had been worried about shipping baby chicks, quickly separated from their Mamma hen (okay in reality these chicks were probably in an incubator not under a nesting Mamma) and then shipped hundreds of miles away, days in a tiny box without love and care. I had read about the yolk they take in before hatching providing nourishment for three days and that made me feel a little better, but they were still without care. We lifted the lid and all 5 of us peered in. Sixteen alive little fuzz balls were nestled in the straw lined box. Chorus' of oohs and ahhs sounded around me as I got to work. One at a time I picked them up, dipped their beak, gave them water and introduced them to their new home. Each and every one of them thanked me by quickly running away!

This post is part of 31 Days- a writing challenge and fifth in my baby chick series!

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