Spring Has Sprung and So Have the Chickens: The Brooder Box

Spring Has Sprung and So Have the Chickens: The Brooder Box Betrayal Ah, springtime. The season of renewal. The birds are chirping, the buds are blooming, and at Pampered Aesthetics… the brooder boxes are overflowing. You see, while some people spent their early spring prepping for Easter brunches, coordinating matching family outfits, and hiding pastel eggs in their freshly thawed gardens — I, in all my aesthetician glory, was adding “chick mom” to my already overly ambitious seasonal to-do list. Because nothing screams spring like the irresistible chirp of baby chicks and poults under the glow of a heat lamp in your basement. Enter: The Brooder Box Era. For the uninitiated, a brooder box is where your fluffy farm dreams start — cozy, controlled, and perfectly staged to make you think, “Wow, this is going so well!” But then, about four weeks later, reality waddles in: these cute little puffballs grow faster than my calendar books up after a facial promo. And now, they're not so little. They're flapping. They’re flying. They’re pooping with impressive dedication. And they're outgrowing their brooder box faster than I can say “hatchery sale mistake.” So, while clients are melting into relaxation during hydrodermabrasion and teeth whitening appointments, I’m toggling between spa mode and operation poultry relocation. Cue Mr. Pampered. His holiday dreams? Maybe fixing a motorcycle. A backyard nap. Catching up on projects he actually chose. The reality? He’s on a home-and-garden store crawl between Rona and Home Depot, trying to figure out which lumber is least likely to bankrupt us. He’s sawing, measuring, and muttering things under his breath I’m 95% sure aren’t romantic poetry. He absolutely did not sign up for this. But here we are — me, covered in exfoliating enzyme and bird dander; him, trying to frame a duck house with questionable Wi-Fi and zero prior barnyard construction experience. And honestly? It’s kind of beautiful. Spring is like that. It shows you what you're capable of — whether it’s rebuilding after loss, balancing beauty and brooders, or watching your partner build a chicken mansion he never knew he’d one day become emotionally attached to. So while the world oohs and aahs over Easter baskets and bunny-shaped chocolates, we’re knee-deep in sawdust, spa towels, and the occasional rogue chick. And you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way. Because at Pampered Aesthetics, we believe in real life beauty — whether it’s glowing skin or a hand-built chicken coop rising from the mud of rural Ontario. So here’s your gentle reminder: spring is wild, unpredictable, and occasionally smells like pine shavings and poultry. But it’s also full of growth — and not just the kind that needs a new brooder.