Babies, Babies, Everywhere!

It's been a long time since I posted but I wanted to share about the new life on our farm. I have so many picture to share. We went on vacation to Montana, stopped in Pomeroy, WA on the way to visit our dear friends Shannon and Kent. We spent a week with Grandma and Grandpa Metzger. We started school and we are deep into soccer season. We've been so busy! Oh yea and Dylan turned 13!! I am the mother of a teenager.

Dylan got the best present ever for his 13th birthday. He shares his special day with 12 little baby chicks. One of our barred rock hens (they had *just* begun laying) went broody and disappeared. She would show up from time to time looking all manic and crazy. The on Dylan's birthday (also his first day of school) I had just gotten out of my car from taking him to school and I heard the loudest peeping. A very distinctive sound if you've ever heard it. I followed the sound to a patch of wild blackberries behind our shop. I peeked in and sure enough, there was the black and white hen, sitting stone still, and a bunch of little black chickies babies peeking their little heads out from under her and peeping their little hearts out!

I recruited Jonah to help and Quinn cheered us on. I got some garden clippers to cut the vines back far enough to get in there (I had to move them to protect them from our cats). First I had to relocate mama so I picked her up and put her in the (all purpose) dog crate. She didn't really put up a fight at all. Then I had to catch the chicks. That was a bit harder. I got a bit scratched up but I ferreted out 12 darling little fluff balls. After one quick mishap w/ the crate, they got moved into the duck pen. Mama hen got right in there and fluffed up and kept them all warm and cozy. She's been a fabulous mama bird! I'll have to cuff her leg before I let her out so I know which one is the good mama.

That was Sept 5th. They are 5 weeks old now and they have changed so much!

Then, last night, as we pulled into the drive after our church function, Quinn asked to see the "rabbies" (we have 2 new female rabbits: Millie and Midnight). We had been told that Millie *might* be pregnant and I was just starting to read what I should do to get ready *just in case*. So Quinn asked to see the "rabbies" which was a bit odd because she hasn't asked to see them in maybe a week. I almost said no because it was late but then I thought, what's the harm? We can be quick. It was already dark so we turned on the small light in the carport-like structure but it doesn't really light the cage well. I saw these funny round, oblong, almost stone shaped lumps in (what was supposed to be) the litter box (but had been used as a sleeping box) and I wondered if the kids had put stones in there (they have put sticks and toys in there before). The day before I had noticed that the "litter" box had been completely cleaned out. Now it was full of hay. I had a small little glimmer of wondering if the "stones" might be the kits. I reached one finger through and touched one lightly and it was soft! It didn't move so I wasn't sure, and worse, I was afraid it might be dead...so I ran in the house for a flashlight.

As soon as I turned the light on the the box, I could see four little pink, hairless, wrinkly, wiggly newborn rabbit kits. I called the kids all out and we fawned over them for just a minute, then they were off to bed and I was in crunch time. I had to get them a proper nest box and some heat. I had no idea what to do so I ran back in the house and asked (told) John to search in the rabbit book for what to do. Curiously, there was no what-to-do-for-naked-newborns-on-a-cold-night-for-the-clueless-new-rabbit-owner section. It was 9:30 and I was about to panic so I looked up the number for the breeder where I had purchased Midnight. She was so nice and talked me through what to do. The mama was supposed to pull fur out and line the nesting box with it but I suspect she was too busy and didn't get to it. Without the fur, the babies would die. I cleaned out the cage and found a container outside and got it all ready for the kits. When I picked up the kits to put them in, two were nice and warm, but two were very cold...but still alive. That scared me. I ran back up the hill to the chicken coop for the heat lamp (this was the third time that night I had turned the light on and woken them up so they were all squirrelly and crazy.

The bulb on the lamp was broken so then I had to steal one from over my sink. Then I had to figure out how to get power to it. Luckily, John had a long cord he was using for the mosquito zapper....but mosquito zapping is clearly a lower priority than saving the lives of newborn bunnies, so it was an easy choice. I climbed up on the pool ladder which was conveniently located under the zapper (by certain boy children, perhaps?) and unplugged the zapper. I pulled the cord down and pulled it over to the crate, plugged the lamp in, and tied it in place. *Warmth* The kits began to warm up immediately.

But one kit kept burrowing away from the rest. I was worried about it and tried to move it back with its littermates several times but it persistently burrowed away. I thought with the light it would be warm enough and went to bed.

As soon as my alarm went off this morning, I ran out to see if they survived the night. Three little velvety kits were all snuggled up cozily sleeping. They looked great. I looked around the nest box and found the fourth, burrowed down as it was wont to do the night before. It wasn't moving. My heart sank. I reached in and sure enough, it had expired in the night. Poor thing. I took it out and placed it carefully in a small sack. We'll bury it when Connor gets home.

I am very excited about the new life on the farm. And I guess we are all getting a bit tougher with the cycle of life. These are great lessons for the kids to learn early in life. Each time it gets a little easier. We are looking forward to the birth of some goat kids later Winter/early Spring. Our kitten might be pregnant.....if not, she will be soon. And I think our dog Lily might be pregnant (unplanned). If she is, the father is sure to be the Australian cattle dog that lives behind us. Very pretty dog. It will be exciting to see what happens.

I'll get some pictures up when Blogger will let me.