The Foundling

I came home last week to find a small box on a table on the front porch, right next to the door. It was about 45 degrees out, and I'd been gone an hour or two.

I opened it to find this baby chick:

She was cold, and so little. I quickly took her inside, to where the Jaerhons are in the bathtub, and put her under the heat light.

She started peeping really loudly. Lotte and Olga stopped and cocked their heads at exactly the same angle and the same expression.

I have no idea how long she'd been on the porch. It couldn't have been too long, I don't think. And I have no idea who put her there. Our coop is pretty noticeable, and the chickens are, too, when they are out and about, so I can only assume that someone had taken home a cute baby chick not realizing the work involved in caring for them, and saw that we had chickens.

She's doing well so far. She tries to keep up with the two big girls in the tub, poor thing. They pretty much run her over (they are about four times as big as her). But they do settle down to sleep together, and she seems relieved to be part of their group. Not sure what kind she is. The girls think she's an Easter Egger (she'll lay blueish eggs) or she could be a Welsummer.

Names have been flying, but so far, nothing seems to fit her small self. I wanted to name her Annie (as in Little Orphan Annie) but that was nixed. M suggested Princess Layer (she has little tufts on her cheeks that M seemed to think were reminiscent of Princess Leia's cinnamon-bun hairdo.) K thought maybe Amelia (like Amelia Earhart, for her goggles). We'll see. For now, she's just "sweetie".