Really its only been a week?

So the lovely little chicks are digging the new house.
In fact, I think it has given them a reason to grow....and grow....and grow...
We have a daily schedule with our newest family members. It didn't take long for us to adjust...I mean for them to adjust to us.
AM - Nick gets up and goes and visits the chicks.  He then gets ready for work.
AM - Kids and I get up and we go visit the chicks.  We then get ready for school and Jazzercise.
Afternoon - I visit with chicks often.  I have been known to read to them. People magazine seemed to be a big hit.  I have sang to them. We don't speak of those times.  I have had conversations with them...though those tend to be one-sided.
Mostly consisting of something like this:
ME - Hey baby girls.  How are you?
CHICKS - ...........cheep.....cheep.....
ME - Oh, hey that is great.  I see you have been busy pooping.  So much poop for such little girls. Does anyone need a warm butt bath today?
CHICKS - ...............cheep..............
ME - Okay, well...I guess not.  Do you need anything else?
CHICKS - ....................cheep....cheep.....
ME - Fine.  I will see you in a bit, I gotta run errands, get the kids from school.  Be good.
CHICKS -........cheep.......

So you can see how much we learn from each other.
PM - Kids home and visits with chicks
PM - Nick home and visits with chicks
PM - Come down after dinner to hang out with chicks.  Open the top and see what they do.  Clean the box.  Get fresh water and food.  Hold chicks.....put chicks down.....hold another chick......
8PM - On the dot!  Chicks are in bed and ready for night.  They crack me up!  Not a peep from them.

Repeat schedule the next day.
This intense attention has caused the chicks to grow at a rapid rate.  I swear....they secretly get together and just plan a growth spurt. Even their wings are changing colors and getting larger.  They are no longer fluffy and yellow.  It is a mix of yellow and white.  I feel sad... but happy at the same time...my babies are growing up! (I am not emotionally attached at ALL!!!!)

Video is worth a thousand words

Before you watch this video, let me make a few things clear:
1. Yes, they are in a plastic tub.  No, they were not in it long.  ONLY a couple of days.  Remember AL?  She said that was okay.  We were following the "rules". And the first tub was not as large as the second tub.
2. We have never left Elvis the cat alone with the chickens.  He only had supervised visits and was held at all times.  To be perfectly honest, he didn't and still doesn't care about the chickens.  They seem to not bother him at all!  The birds he cares about taunt him from the tops of the trees and fly by the window mocking him being stuck in the house.  Chickens....smickens...Elvis wants nothing to do with them.
3. Yes, we are aware they "chicken scratch" or as we call it "scritching" ALL the time.  Yes, they do it everywhere.  Yes, even in the food!  It is a genetic action we can't control or guide.  So....shavings get in the water and the food.  Whatever....I have bigger issues....
4. POOP!!  Lots of it.....til we chat again......

The New Digs!

Welcome to your new home little ladies!
Okay, well, your temporary, transitional, don't like it too much, you will out grow it soon, home!
Hubby and I had to come to some conclusion regarding the brooders box.
There were certain criteria we both expected this new home to have.  Criteria we needed and we knew the baby chicks needed...I sorta feel guilty thinking my needs might have been ahead of their needs...
Don't judge...I'm just sayin'....
Brooders Box Must Have's:
1. Space for the chicks to grow.
2. Roost options
3. Food/Kitchen room
4. Easy clean up (which technically should be #1)
5. Small enough to be in the garage with my car and all of Hubby's "stuff"
6. Easy accessibility to the chicks....
7. Cute, not obnoxious, sturdy...you know.... the important stuff

Remember we know NOTHING about taking care of baby chicks.  We figured that we did okay with our children when they were babies, that must give us some sort of leg up for baby chicks.  Right?
I mean, how hard can it be?? 
After much talk, research and more talk, Hubby came up with a plan and set it into action. I sat by and watched the progress.
What? Does that surprise you?
I think not....
I did go to Home Depot with Hubby to pick out supplies. Doesn't that count as helping?

The end result sported a fabulous condo like feel for the chicks.  I am sure they were impressed.  I was.
It had a nice hinged lid with screen on top, so we could peek in at them anytime we wanted.
There were nice Kitchen, Bedroom and Living room areas.
The flooring was made from wire mesh for easy clean up and air circulation.
The base of the box had room for a extra large tote to catch all the extra shavings and poop that fell from the floor.  LOVED that part.  It is all about the poop and how to keep it away from everything.
I personally feel that their brooders box was nicer than my first apartment.  But, whatever....I will get over it.
Needless to say, I think the chicks were happy.

Welcome to the Kitchen area.  Take a seat and dive right in!

Eat in Kitchen area

Living Room and Bedroom.  Good thing it was clean.

Spending more time in the Eat in Kitchen and Living room

**Side note ~ see the baby chicks white feathers staring to come in.  The cutest thing ever....so soft....cuddly......

Yes, We Are Still in the Tub

Okay, so maybe it took the hubby a few days to make the brooders box.....
The chicks were okay.....I promise.....
No harm, no fowl....(foul)....get it?  Get it?  No pun intended.....okay, well...yes, it was.  I couldn't help it. 
Here....enjoy another picture of the cutie patootie chicks

Who needs feathers?

Okay....it is confession time.
I know NOTHING, I mean nothing about taking care of baby chickens.(I gave you a hint about that a few posts back)
Surprised? Nah, I didn't think so
Whew...I feel better.
That being said, I can continue with my next chicken escapade!
So, if you find yourself easily offended, you might want to cover your ears.  Well, I mean stop reading.
I am going to talk about POOP.
Isn't that what all new Mom's talk about? Feeding times, nap times, and poop!  In no particular order.
Chickens poop ALOT!  Even when they are small. You won't believe the amount of poop one small chick can produce.  There has to be a multi-billion dollar business somewhere in chicken poop!  I am grossed out and impressed all at the same time.
Just a couple of days into baby chick ownership and we have a major poop issue.
Our runt ~ Bette Davis is having a hard time letting poop go!  I mean literally!  The poop keeps getting stuck to the back of her little chicken butt.  Poor thing.
Just horrible!
Embarrassing!
I mean, wouldn't you want someone to tell you if you had poop stuck to your butt?  EXACTLY!  I had to help Bette out!  We couldn't have Bette Davis running around with poop stuck to her.  Not cool, man!  Not cool.
In my, oh so NOT knowledgeable way, I pick her up and with a paper towel try to remove the yucky from her booty. Mind you the paper towel was a bit damp.  I didn't want to rub her skin raw.  But the darn poop wouldn't budge.  It was stuck and stuck good.
I kept trying to lightly pull on it but nothing...
And of course it didn't feel good...every time I tried to pull on it Bette would chirp in discomfort.
We were not in a good place.
Here is where the story takes a turn for the worse.
Brace yourself......it gets ugly.
I decide one last time to try to remove the offending poop and grabbed the glob and pulled.  Yes, I pulled.  I feel such remorse....I feel sick.....I pulled the poop off her butt!
I was successful, but in doing so, I also pulled all the cute peachy fuzzy feathers off Bette's butt!!!  I left her featherless.  Her butt was just skin.  Oh my!  What the "french toast" did I just do?
I hurt her good.  She chirped something fierce and then silence.  Hell, I would chirp too if someone just pulled off all my butt feathers.  (Please excuse my French, it was an emotional experience)
I was very hesitant to put her back in the brooders box with the other girls.  I just made her bald.  I was certain the other chicks were going to make fun of her, chase her around the coop, tease her, pick on her.  Oh the emotional scarring I was responsible for........I am so horrifically sorry.....
I called up to Tractor Supply and asked for AL.  She immediately gave me comfort and said that Bette was not only going to live, but that within a few weeks would have new butt feathers and no one would know the difference.   Oh.....how much better I felt hear that.  But I still was concerned for poor Bette and asked to bring her up to AL to check out.  She of course said YES!
This parenting thing is for the birds.........
So, back into the 6-pack box Miss Bette Davis goes and up to Tractor Supply.  I was mortified I did this to a poor baby chick...I was sure they were going to demand them all back.  I was just certain.  I was not fit to be a Chicken Mama!
AL checked Bette over and pronounced her with a clean bill of health.  Not only was she going to be okay, she was looking so healthy and strong!
Wow!  I don't lose my chickens today!  (Happy Dance)
Back home went Bette Davis.
I kept thinking that I might just be a bit crazy.  I have only had the chickens a couple of days and I was pulling feathers off butts, talking to them like they understood everything, and completely and totally head over heals in love...
Baby chicks rock.....

**No pictures are being posted to protect the innocent**

**Future reference: When poop gets stuck on the booty's of baby chicks, pulling off with a damp paper towel is not recommended.  Instead, take a cup of warm water and dip the baby chicks butt in the water.  Swirl it around to loosen the poop and then dry the butt with a nice soft cotton towel. **

**Baby Chicks love warm butt baths......