Friday, May 25, 2007

I am here . . .

I didn't spontaneously combust or anything terrifying like that. I just lost the desire to communicate. I suppose I felt that my life is so boring that the possibility of anyone being interested in the mundane details was remote. I do issue an apology to my Aunt "Needle" and Miranda who have religiously checked my blog because they don't have feed readers and were sorely disappointed that I haven't been inclined to write.

We have two new additions. Two of the three wild turkey eggs have hatched. We miscalculated the date of hatch. One of the other eggs was cracked, so we opened it to judge how much longer the eggs needed to incubate. Unfortunately, we misjudged and I just happened to notice that one of the eggs was pipping and was able to turn the automatic rotator off. The other egg is still in the incubator, but I don't think it will hatch. They aren't as cute as baby chickens. They are gangly and have strangely mottled downy baby feathers. They seem to be doing great. We will put them into an outside pen during the afternoons in a day or two. Still, everyone I talk to seems to think it is crazy to think I can raise these birds and get them back into the wilds of our woods and pastures.

I have never been one to give up.

4 comments:

Jennifer said...

I am glad you are here. I hope losing the desire to communicate isn't indicative of the blues, although we're all beset with a mild case of the blues now and then.

What are the hatchlings eating? I think this has been a pretty interesting experiment so far, and as they grow, I'll be interested to know if they take back to the woods and pastures, or prefer to stay closer to the barn.

My 13 year-old is absolutely nuts for wild birds and is hoping to create a backyard bird haven this summer. Off to a good start, she's already managed to attract nesting pairs of orioles, hummingbirds, and rose breasted grosbeaks. She will be so envious when I show her your turkey pictures. (When she was 18 months she called the turkeys visiting our yard "bird-puppies," and has been crazy about birds ever since.

I hope you'll continue to share your "boring" life :-) You may be a little bored with it, but I'm not!

Melora said...

My daughter, age 5, spotted a mom turkey & her babies as we were driving through a state park last weekend. Husband stopped the car & we all peered out and admired until they left. (We are suburbanites & easily thrilled by nature.) I think your baby birds are cute. I've read that baby chickens are practically brainless -- are your baby turkeys any brighter?

Wisteria said...

No, not blue, just busy with the mundane details of Spring gardening like weeding, hoeing, and picking bugs.

The chicks are eating the grain mix we feed to our chicks. As they grow we will let them forage. I am still reading and learning. I thought I had another week to prepare for them. The same thing happened with my first child. I procrastinated about buying necessities like diapers and clothes, then he surprised me by showing up three weeks early. When will I ever learn?

Chickens only appear to be completely stupid. When you watch them closely, you realize that they have a social order, healthy fear mechanisms, teach and protect their young, and seem to communicate with each other. Baby chicks seem to learn quickly so don't seem brainless. The turkeys seem to be learning a good bit without a real teacher - so no, not brainless either.

Melora said...

I'm glad chickens are smarter than I thought, though thinking something is nearly mindless does make it easier for me to eat it!