"Wake up" calls...

Yesterday was one of those days that just began suddenly and abruptly without warning and I feel like, even though it's tomorrow, it still hasn't ended. Best way to sum it up in one word or less, Poop. I was awoken at an unholy hour by a very loud reminder that only a rooster can offer, exclaiming in his own special way that he was in fact awake and hungry and what did I plan to do about it. My son had been sick the night before, in my bed and my sleep pattern was still reeling in attempt to sort itself out from that sweet little middle of the night treat thus I did not feel like dealing with the very loud calls of Bess turned Brewster the rooster.

I lay in bed in protest for a minute, that is until Callie, our dog joined in the chorus. She had slept on the back porch by choice and apparently did not appreciate her early morning wake up call. And, in true form of the domino effect that was now unwinding just outside my bedroom window, the goats weighed in, letting me know that they too were hungry and in need of assistance. Farms are fun they said. (actually nobody said that but me) ANYWAY.

I did what any good farmer-mommy would do and sent my 4 year old(who was feeling much better) out into the yard to "free the masses". After all, it is educational and good for him right? I slowly got up and dressed lagging a little from the "sheet changing" extravaganza that had erupted from my son during the night. I guess that's what I get for letting him crawl into bed with me. At any rate, I was half way to the door when it flung open and my son exclaimed as he raced past me that "poop had snuck out of his butt!"

A puzzled scowl formed on my face as I turned and headed in his direction. However, the goats had spotted me from the back porch door and their wales were becoming increasingly louder and more desperate sounding. Hungry pregnant goats are no joke. My first priority was obviously tending to my son, and I was also curious as to what "snuck out" really boiled down to. Apparently his tummy decided to "flush" things out via a closer route. And I was the lucky one to get to play clean up. The thing about diarrhea is, it keeps coming. The thing about SUPER pregnant and SUPER hungry goats is, they keep "mehh'ing" and roosters, well they don't need an excuse to do what they do they just keep doing it.

And suddenly we were "those" neighbors. You know, the ones who blare their tastelessly loud music at ungodly hours. Except our "music" was a gaggle of unhappy animals who wouldn't know harmony if it punched them in the throat (which is coincidentally what I kinda felt like doing to the rooster at that moment).

I finished (for the time being anyway) with my son and raced outside to let the chickens out and hush the chaos by stuffing it with food. Pregnant goats eat A LOT. And "input" like cause and effect, will always lead to "output" in their case, lots and lots and lots of output. As the goats happily grazed I hurriedly made a pile and, with the help of a good thick pair of gloves began to mulch it through the yard. So there I am sprinkling goat poop like magical fairy dust throughout the lay of the land, when I heard the shrill loud demanding call, "MOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM WIPE MY BUTTTTTTTTT AGAINNNN"

When will the poop end? I threw down the goat's, to tend to my son's never ending supply AND I still had the joys of looking forward to delving into the not 1 but 2 chicken coops to do the same. Who knew that 75% if not more of farming AND motherhood would revolve around POOP!? And, while I was cleaning my son who greeted me in the "assumed position" pose as I walked through the doorway, he had the audacity to tell me that I SMELL! I got news for you pal... the only "roses" in here are the ones plastered on the friggin wall.

Needless to say by noon, my son had had at least 3 wardrobe changes and I was sweeping our porch and walkway free of chicken and goat "presents" for the umpteenth time. I still had a honey order to fill and drop by, not to mention a laundry list of household chores that I would now be doing intermittently if and when I was released from the prison known as our bathroom and the impossible "natural spring" that had suddenly burst forth from my child. I only got half of what I truly needed to get done before the sun went to sleep and finally so did I.

So today when the rooster called, I hopped up and like a woman on fire and raced out to sift through todays chores so that I could secure time to finish yesterdays. As I opened the coop, the POWs darted past me and the rooster crowed his freedom call. The thing was, the "call" was then echoed back...

I whirled around just in time to see Nugget offering HIS rebuttle. I stared in disbelief. 2. 2 roosters? How could this be? (no I do not need a lecture on the "birds and bees" of chicken eggs thank you) We weren't even supposed to have 1. Regardless of the discovery I had made, there were still things that needed to get done and I had to get my head back in the game which meant worrying about Nugget later. The bright side being that, at least I wouldn't have to change his name. To which Nugget then crowed again in agreement.

As I was bringing the last bucket full of water needed to fill the goat's trough,WTF. I will admit that I had had my suspicions about "her" as her tail feathers had begun to fountain over with large green plumes. Sigh. 3. And, as if to let me know that perhaps I shouldn't jump to any conclusions so soon, it happened. DIXIE made a retort in the form of a crow. It felt as if the chickens had plotted against me and bided their time.
a weaker "crow" sounded from the tree line to my left. And, seeing as I could see all of the "bigs" (my soon to be laying chickens) I turned in time to catch Lacey (one of the littles) sounding off.4. 4 roosters. 3 of which were supposed to be laying eggs like ANY DAY NOW. Leaving me with only 2 possible hens who were even close to being ready and 3 who have a while yet to go on that journey. So now I am left with the predicament of just what to do. I mean, what does one do with 4 roosters exactly?

Anyone feel like "chicken tonight?" :(