Chicks on the Move

The chicks have outgrown their original brooder and moved to their new home. While the inside of the coop is not too much bigger than their previous space, they now have a fenced yard which adds quite a lot of space for stretching their wings.

Ancona chick, 4 weeks old

While they were pretty hesitant at first to enter their new yard, it didn't take too long for the more adventurous in the bunch to head into unknown territory.

Black crossbred banty chick, 5 weeks old

The little black banties are a week older than the rest and most of their chick fluff has now been replaced by real feathers.

Speckled Sussex chick, 4 weeks old

The Speckled Sussex chicks have also replaced much of their down.

White Orpington Chick, 4 weeks old

Light Brahma chick, 4 weeks old

The White Orpingtons and Light Brahmas seem to have feathers on their bodies, but their heads are still fluff.

Partridge Cochin chick, 4 weeks old

Free hatchery mystery chick, 4 weeks old

But, oh my goodness, the Partridge Cochins and free mystery bird are pretty pitiful this week.  I know the Cochins will be very handsome birds when they are grown, but the mystery bird?  Hmmm, I guess only time can answer that question!
Until next time, may time be kind to your countenance!

Growing Up

It did not take long for the baby chicks to outgrow their stock tank.  In fact they were only in it for a day before I tipped it on its side to give them more room.  The active chicks were constantly running over the smaller, weaker ones and interrupting their naps.  Poor little sleepyheads!  I used heavy cardboard to slowly increase their space until they had the full run of the 6'x10' enclosure after several days. 
Mortality has seemed fairly high as I have lost a total of 7 chicks, most within the first week.  Two of those were the white Cochins I was concerned about and also lost two of the Mille Fleur bantams.  The rest were a variety of breeds.  The light went out on Tuesday night of this week, which happened to be a night it chilled off somewhat and we got a little rain.  I nearly lost one of the Brahma banties then, but was able to get it rewarmed before it was too late.


Light Brahma

The slower growing breeds are still cute and don't look too awfully different than they did two weeks ago.

Silver Spangled Hamburg

But the faster growing chicks are just starting into their awkward stage.

Brown Leghorn

Baby chick fluff is being replaced by real feathers.

But the poor little black banties are about a week older than the rest and totally into the awkward, gangly, teenager stage.

White Orpington

Every adolescent wants to stand out from the crowd, and . . . .

Golden-Laced Wyandotte

spread their wings a little.

Dark Brahma and Silver Spangled Hamburg

And everyone likes to hang out and talk with their friends as they find their place in the world.


Until next time, may you be blessed with good friends to help through the awkward moments in life!

Chicken Nuggets

 Several days ago, mama hen brought her 10 little ones to visit in the yard, which I discovered when I heard a loud "PEEP, PEEP, PEEP" coming through the house.  One of the housecats was bringing me a treasure with the other cat close behind in case he dropped it.  When I went to take the chick from him, though, he changed his mind and no longer wished to share his little nugget with me or anyone else.  After a short chase, I managed to retrieve the poor terrified chick.  Out in the yard there was panic with hen and chicks scattered to all corners.  I managed to scoop up four more babies and found another little one had already been killed.  I penned up the five I had caught with the hope that mama would come back for them and I could then catch her and the remaining four.  She did come close, but was always watching out for me and I could not manage to get the gate to the the outer pen closed before she was back out.  Poor babies cried and cried for mama for two or three days and have just today stopped calling for her, but she thinks the yard is a dangerous place and refuses to come back in.  Yesterday I checked the babies in the morning and found my favorite chick had died overnight.  He appeared healthy and strong, so am not sure what happened, but was sad to lose him as he was a beautiful mahogany color with feathered feet, while the rest are black chicks with some light patches.  He did not happen to be the one the cat brought into the house, either.  That was a black chick and is doing just fine!

They look so tiny in the big tank all alone.

Minnie Mae would like a taste of chicken nuggets, please.

Sorry, Minnie Mae, you are going to have to stick to your cat food!

Chick Surprise!

One of my black banties had gone missing and I was sure she had become chicken dinner for some sharp-toothed critter.  I had found her abandoned nest some time back, which is usually an indication that the hen is unable to return.  But, lo and behold, I was pleasantly surprised yesterday to find her alive and well as she clucked lovingly to 10 little ones out in the barn lot!

I am hopeful she can raise this batch of chicks as the Pyrenees cross pups are becoming more and more effective at keeping the predators at bay and protecting their family of chickens, sheep, etc.  On Tuesday, their dad, Chuck, was here to visit and together they killed a raccoon who had been hanging around for quite some time.  This morning the pups brought in the body of a young raccoon they had killed.  While I love watching raccoons and am fascinated by their actions, I lost about 40 chickens last winter, many to raccoons who would climb into the barn rafters and dine as the chickens slept.  The carnage of chicken body parts that had fallen from above was not a pretty sight in the morning.

I just had to include this picture of Snickers goat.  He is not happy with me at all.  Yesterday he got out and helped himself to the roses just beginning to open up their gorgeous blooms in the yard as he is a master gate opener.  He again got out several times today, and in fact, joined me inside the house at one point as I had a back door open.  I looked and looked, but could not figure out where he had gotten out.  While taking pictures of the chicks, I put him in again and set a pan of grain outside the pen.  He still refused to show me where he was getting out until he thought I'd gone back to the house.  From my hiding spot, I watched him slip though a gate that had not been fastened tightly enough when the guys were working cows yesterday.  I refastened the gate and gave him his pan of feed, but he knows a small pan of grain is not equal to the freedom he was tasting.
Until next time, may you savor the freedoms you are able to enjoy!