Peep and Bo-Peep

Peep, born a few hours after Bo-Peep

Bo-Peep, the firstborn

Well, the photographer is back from his trip to Atlanta, so we have a few  pictures of the new babies, Peep and Bo-Peep. (Two chicks so far... we will wait on the other egg a couple more days.)  We are amazed at how tiny and perfect these chicks are.  They are bright-eyed and alert and demonstrating "chicken behavior". So cute! Walking and scratching the straw, cuddling up with their proud Mommy.  Pretty Face is, indeed, very proud of her young 'uns... But, she knows and trusts
 us, so she allows
 us to hold her babies.
 Even the dog stuck
 her head in the little
 broody coop and
Pretty Face was
casual about it.
 We are blessed.

One of the babies' eggshells

     Can you imagine what it must be like to peck your way out of an eggshell?  Let me tell you, this thing is tough!  I tried to separate the membrane lining from the outer eggshell, and couldn't do it! I read somewhere that part of the chicks'  development depends on their pecking out of the shell.  If you try to "help" the process, the chick will die.  It's sort of like the surfactant that premature babies lack because it develops in the last stages of pregnancy.  Preemies often succumb to respiratory failure due to the lack of surfactant. And so it is with baby chicks; they need their full time to develop.  The way God creates things is so miraculous, isn't it?

The proud Mama with her babies...

Shalom  y'all

     Twyla