Life and death; it's all education

Two bits of news:

The triops have died, as I predicated they would (with their ideal lifespan that just about lasts as long as the novelty of having them). Now we have to drain off the water (and dead triops) and dry the sand out. Then hopefully start up again (assuming that they've laid eggs in the sand).


And great news! We have an addition to the family! One chick has hatched.

Here it is at the beginning:

Then the day after it hatched:

And then today, just two days after hatching (I think it's gonna be a big bruiser):

There was a second chick on the way, it seemed lively but for some reason it didn't get out the shell alive.

2 of the 6 eggs were duds I think as the hen cracked and ate them a few weeks ago. No sign of anything from the remaining eggs: one of them she kicked out - completely out- of the coop a couple of days ago. I popped it back under but it was cold, possibly another dud one? So pinning our hopes on one egg really, which doesn't seem to be doing anything. Coudl be we end up with just one chick. I just hope it's not a cockeral cos with just one chick we're going to get very attached and I dont' think it'll be easy taking it for 'a walk in the woods' as planned.

Dd has had a quick lesson in life and death. She took the death of the chick extremely well really for a 6 year old girl. Though I must admit when we found the mother hen eating the dead chick today, both of us thought we'd rather not stop and look...eek. Perhaps I should have removed it, but I figured I'd leave it up to the mum to do what was needed and kick it out of the nest; didn't want to upset her into leaving the eggs. Ah well, that's what nature is all about.

Give these pets a tri (op)

And here we have The Triops...

Triops about 5 days ago:

and trips now (trying to lay eggs in the sand):

and triops having a chat at Starbucks:

I can highly recommend these pets: they don't eat much, grow to full size in 3 weeks, then they lay eggs and die just as the novelty of having them wears off. What more could you ask for in a pet?

What do you have on your table?

Perhaps you have this...

(dd's trainers with the dog rattles stuck in them)

Or one of these...

(Triops eggs in water)

Or perhaps a few of these...

(plaster of paris moulds and brooches)

And how about several of these....

(Airfix model planes)

Not forgetting one of these...

(Quartz crystals and a potassium salt solution to grow crystals)

Plus the pieces of one of these...

( a semi-dismantled remote controlled car)

And then perhaps a few items from the leaning tower of junk shelves...

And perhaps you have all of it on your table at the same time and it might start to look like this...

As you can tell, we've had a busy day...plaster of paris, airfix models, setting up a triops tank, starting a crystal kit, taking apart a remote-controlled car (plus reading out a few chapters of 'Dragon in the Cliff', driving out to see if we could buy some fertile chicken eggs, baking pizzas and bread and trying to sort out the shelves in the conservatory). I'm shattered! So much for a quiet day at home!