You all are so sweet! Thanks for your kind words. And look, I have a new avatar (thanks katylester!).
Yep, I think next time a crumb coat is a definite must-do, thanks ranchhand.
Sunny_Side_Up, I baked the body in a Pyrex casserole dish. I also made some little cupcakes in a mini-muffin tin for the chicks. I baked one loaf-pan cake in an 8" pan. To make the tail, I cut a "slot" in the body, cut a 1" slice off the end of the loaf cake, and inserted it. A dowel would've been a great idea; I used toothpicks since that's what I had on hand. I cut the corner off the other end of the loaf cake, rounded the edges a bit, and used that for the neck and head (also secured in a "slot" with a toothpick). Chocolate chip (and mini-chocolate chip) eyes, fruit leather combs and wattles, and candy-corn beaks finished it up.
Gee, I wonder what kind of cake she'll want next year....