All my pretty chickens

Granted they're not actually my children, in the way that Macduff referred to his slaughtered babes, but this is the last time I'll be putting them to bed for three weeks and I can't be sure they will all be here when I get back.

Tomorrow I'll be off to London on the first leg of my long journey to Philadelphia and I'll be leaving at home:
One dog
Two sons,
Three ducks,
Four cats,
Eight chickens.

There are no longer any goats, sheep, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters or fish - they have all gone to the great beyond, which is just as well.
And to be honest I have mentioned to my sons that if the two young cockerels (at the back here) are not present when I return I won't be upset. Three cocks are too many for the hens to cope with and even the ducks are receiving unwanted attentions. I've advertised them (free) on a local swap shop website but there were no takers.
I know they will not have died in vain if they end up as coq au vin.
Otherwise I'm hoping that the population will remain intact but it's hard to say goodbye.