About a week ago I went up to the barn in the morning to feed Hero. Mama White, the brown hen, and the rooster were all up there hanging around together peacefully (with one of the younguns). The rest of the chicks - er - young chickens were foraging spread out over the fifty years between the barn and the house.

It was a little poignant to see, after how very carefully she guarded and mothered them over the last two months. She's 'done' now, though, and they're chickening on their own. I told K when she got home and she looked so sad. Yeah, mm-hmm, sad to see chicks leave their mama, isn't it.

It looks like two of the five "Americanas" that I paid extra to buy sex selected (female only for egg-laying purposes) are actually roosters. That is terrible. Statistically no better than buying 'straight run'. When I buy from my favorite hatchery, Murray McMurray, they have well over 90% success for sex selection.

At the vet's office Wednesday, I mentioned to him that the ticks are crazy down at Home Farm but not bad at all at home. He told me he got three ticks crawling up his leg just from getting down off his tractor to check a the hay-baler quick when he was making hay down there recently. His theory - my yard has far fewer because Chickens. I bet he's right; these guys have 'teenage appetites' right now and they're prowling the yard relentlessly.

Roosters. Hrrmph.