Golden Laced Crested Polish Chicks and Cheese

Our friends, the Olsons, have a few of these chickens...they are extremely friendly and very goofy looking! We tried to order a couple when we recieved the other chicks, but alas, they did not hatch on the same date. However, the Olsons were ordering some chicks of their own, and they very kindly ordered three of these darling things for us!

See their puffy topped head? It gets quite crazy looking when they get their adult feathers.

They are quite tiny and the most beautiful color...they currently reside in a cardboard box in our bedroom because they are too small to go in with the other chicks, who at less than two weeks old, have lost their cute little peep fluffiness and at a rather alarming rate are turning into bona fide chickens!

Will gave me a nudge in bed this morning to point out the patch of light on the ceiling made by the warming light in the chicken box...you could see the silhouttes of three tiny chickens dancing to who knows what tune. I know for a fact that we are not the only people who have ever had livestock in their house so my initial thoughts of "maybe this is just a bit over the top" have been laid to rest. At my spinning group this morning the ladies were telling tales of assorted animals they have known so I now know that this is not too unusual, or that at least I have found the right group of people to hang out with!

Miss Mocha, the english angora rabbit that is due to kindle (have babies) this weekend, has started building a nest. I have had my doubts that she was actually pregnant, but I caught her yesterday carrying mouthfuls of hay around her cage looking for a place to put it. I slipped the nest box in her cage today and she built a rather half hearted looking nest. She was ripping wool out of her tummy to beat the band though, so we shall see. I'm glad she is inside (yes, more animals in the house) because it is cold and windy this weekend.

The weather has not inspired me to do any sheep shearing (they would get cold right?), but today after spinning I got out the cheesemaking kit I ordered from the New England Cheesemaking Company and made some Whole Milk Ricotta cheese and Fresh Mozzarella. We will put together a lasagna for Mother's Day dinner using the homemade cheese. It was pretty easy to do and it tastes great! The kit was $24.95 and it makes 30 batches (or as Duncan likes to say "patches") of Ricotta and/or Mozzarella. You just have to buy the milk, the rest is in the kit!