Crying Fowl!

It's an auspicious day here in our homestead nestled safely in the Pinelands of NJ. It started the same as any other hectic Monday. 4 crazy kids reeling through the house, my mother coming over to do the laundry and to  find things that are wrong with my housekeeping and I was heading  on the long track to Princeton for my weekly meeting. Now I don't mind going into the office but  it does tire me.

The trip each way is long and we usually brainstorm so by Monday evening  I'm shot. This week I actually had to "dress" and no I don't attend the weekly Monday meetings naked but I usually wear jeans and my very comfy sandals. This week we had a potential client meeting so I had to look human with real shoes and all - the kind with heels- that hurt. Needless to say I was tired so I was none too happy when at 5:45pm , my wonderful husband told me I needed to pick up the kids from daycare before they turned into pumpkins( which happens at approximately 6pm). I asked where he was and he said he was out getting my "thing" Now I knew that probably meant the dog run I had seen on Craigslist for my chicken. Poor Henrietta hates being cooped  up but needs to be safe so I concluded she needed a chicken run. - Yes I know very Green Acres of me. Being in the country aircan do that to a perosn

Anyway by the time I got home with 4 squabbling kids in tow, I must have looked absolutely wiped because when I got out the car my husband asked " Long Ride?"

I replied" yes and I just want get all un corporate ( I really do hate dressing ) and be human again"  He chuckled and said " well this is the place to do it"--- That's when I heard an unfamiliar noise.

It started out as a slight Cheep Cheep and grew louder and more intense. I turned the corner into what used to be my sunroom and saw it was now taken over by baby cheeping something. Apparently while I was in Princeton brainstorming, my husband thought it might be a great idea to not only get my chicken run but to also get 10 guinea hen keets ( I just found out tonight that's what they are called)  After all they eat ticks and while I admit I had thought about getting one or two- 10 never crossed my mind.

Needless to say my night was spent calming excited children and getting pooped on for the very first time by a guinea hen keet.  My husband informed me that he didn't really plan on keeping all 10 , he was going to give some  to his friend who has a chicken farm.The problem is how do we decide how many to keep?After reading up on them they apparently are social birds and I'd feel guilty about breaking up the gang.So for now we just add them to our ever growing family.

If you've ever wondered if I am a hick wonder no more because not only did I enjoy this little fowl craziness, my husband informed me while he was purchasing the keets, he also got some fertile guinea hen eggs and fertile turkey eggs for his friend with the chicken farm. Fertile Turkey eggs?  My eyes glazed over and I laugh maniacally -

 Stay tuned for the birth of a Pinelands Turkey!