Wowie wow, do chickens grow quickly...and require lots of time and attention! I may not be up to the task of giving you play-by-plays of this adventure in anywhere close to real time, after all. I will endeavor, however, to keep you as posted as possible on the scoop from the new coop.
About five weeks ago, 13/18 of our eggs hatched! They were unbelievably cute, as you might imagine, and I was immediately more invested than I ever expected (surprising no one else😏). While we were giving everyone ample time to emerge (i.e. not opening the incubator), the chicks were read to, cooed at, and fawned over. Once they came out, and after watching a few videos about how to raise tame chickens, we did what we could to gain their affection and imprintation (pretty sure this is not a word). This included, but was not limited to, making eye contact, holding them often, and according to Lydia, blowing hot air in their face.
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| preparing the brooder box (very thankful for friends who have gone before us and let us borrow all the gear!) |
All the chicks are still alive and well...and have grown into awkward teenagers! We have such a variety of colors, though since a few are similar, it has been difficult to keep them straight. I have considered painting their toes, not only for fun and aesthetic purposes (ha - you're not surprised), but also to help differentiate between those who are similar. Due to the aforementioned uncertainty, as well as the additional uncertainty about which are hens (staying) and which are roosters (not allowed to stay), we are still waiting to officially bestow names.
Do not fear, though - I took newborn and subsequent milestone pictures for you, all the same.💗 There is little guarantee that any are actually the same chick in each sequence, but in order for me to sleep at night, I am telling myself they are. 😉 Of course, the most recent pictures are already dated, and they have continued to grow and change.
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| This one (I think...) is named "Dolly," because of her sweet demeanor. (We sure hope she's a she...) |
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| This one was called "Houdini" early on, because it escaped to part of the brooder box that was partitioned off and screamed loudly till it was rescued. If she is a she, we may call her "Houdina" or perhaps do some research into Houdini's wife's name. |
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| Lydia named this one "Robin," because of the reddish (brown) tint to her head. (Again, we're sure hoping *she* gets to stay...) |
While the growing pains of acquiring and learning new responsibilities has not always been pleasant for everyone over here, being able to love on these babies and share the miracle and joy of them with others certainly has been. We are trying to hold them loosely (literally and figuratively) and not get too, too attached, while still enjoying the "pet" void they have seemed to fill and make sure they live their best lives here. So, they have been on several "field trips" to the yard and garden before making their official move to the coop (soon).
I hope that sufficiently covers it all. Please let me know if you have any lingering questions. We are certainly learning as we go, here, so would also welcome any advice and/or input you might have from your own chicken encounters. It takes a village! 😁😉
Favorites of the day:
open windows
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| Caterpillar Chronicles: Part 2! This one spent a few short days devouring parsley (that's where we found it in the garden) before making itself at home in our butterfly habitat. We'll see if this one stays in there for as many months as the previous resident! |
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