2 weeks, 2 days

It seems like only yesterday that our little girls were all fuzz, but now they are mostly feathered, with only patches of fluff hanging on.  It seems to be that awkward "teenage" like time for them.

"Martha Graham, dancing her way around.

They got to spend hours in the "out of doors" today as the weather was just fine.

A day out in the low tunnel with room to roam.

close to 100'f in the low tunnel today.

Lots of pretty feathers on the Brown leghorns.  

 Gathering them all back together t put them back in the brooder for the night is a bit stressful for all of us.  I have to figure out a way to get them to walk into the box that I gather them in for transport, rather than having to catch them, as I am afraid to hurt them.  Once in my hands they calm down quickly and are rather nice to hold.

Chicken goose stepping

The Names

Dottie (Tetra Tint)

Betty (Red Sex Link)

Ginger (Red Sex Link) 

Martha Graham (Tetra Tint)

Auburn (Brown Leg Horn)

Chestnut (Brown Leg Horn)

It's been a week and feathers are replacing fuzz on the wings and tails!  They grow up so fast.

Day 5

Today we took the chicks out to the low tunnel veggie patch for their first outdoor (kinda) experience.  They seemed to like it.  The bugs on the kale haven't got a chance with these energetic and hungry little chicks around.  It was one of the best things we have ever done, just sitting with them in there, all warm   in the tunnel on a cool Early Spring day, watching them be chicks.  We talked softly but constantly to get them used to our voices and they seemed to be all right with us lying on the ground with them.   We have manually removed bugs from our plants before, they seem to love doing it and to not tire.  I love it when I find another step in my path towards living as a part of this place rather than fighting what it wants to be.

mmmmmm! Aphids!

 One chick, Betty, had a very nice and thorough dust bath!

room to roam!

They really are too damned cute!

Better Brooder

Had to build a better set up for the chicks.  I took a box we had been using to store winter veggies and converted it.

On the porch with the winter curtains up the chicks can be warm.

Limbs screwed to the side make a good roost.

Many roosting options.  Chicken wire for chickens.

Hot Chick Video!

don't know if you'll be able to play this, but here it is.

Chirp.

Chicks, Day 3

So this is the third day we have had the chicks.  I have been reading a bit, trying to find out what we should be doing, and what we shouldn't be doing.  So far, it seems that a few of the common opinions we have gotten wrong, but some right.
The chicks seem well.  They are active and they drink their water, and eat their food.  I am a little concerned that we might have been giving them too much food, as one source warns against, but in truth, they did seem to be self regulating when the food dish was in the brooder.  Just in case, I removed the food and will but it back in about mid day.

Feathers coming in on the wingtips.  I added this stick for them to roost on and it works!
Sometimes as many as 3 have been roosting at once.  All the wood chips are from my boat shop projects
and is yellow pine.

 They seem to be warm enough, even though the thermometer is reading only 80-85 degrees f.  I am using a  100watt R lamp about 15 inches above them and at one side of the brooder. The common consensus is that if they are huddling under the light for warmth, they are too cold.  They are some times under, usually one at time, but mostly they sleep in the middle of the brooder.  this makes me think that they aren't to hot, in which case they would be as far from the light as possible, but also warm enough, in which case they'd be right under the light.

Left to right: Tetra tint (back), Red sex link, Brown leg horn, Red sex link.

They are really cute when fuzzy, and their feathers have increased in number already.  The preen, or pluck at their fuzz and reveal more feathers as they do.  When I first added the roosting stick they just hurdled over it, then somebody stayed on top of it, then they all started taking turns.

I am completely rethinking my coop idea.  The one I have will probably work but I think I want something more incorporated into our existing buildings so that heating in the winter will be easier.

I will be sad to see all the fuzz traded for feathers but I will be glad to see them grow up a bit and be less fragile.

Day 1, Hot Chicks

 Day 1- Six baby chickens: 2-Tetra Tints, 2-Red sex links, 2-Brown Leg Horns.

A huddle of chicks, six to be exact.

after the heater got going they started to move around.