I am creating this page mostly for myself to document the progress of my first chickies. I will continue to update it as they get older. I hope others can enjoy it as well.
My babies hatched September 16, 2013! (Meyers)
At two days old:
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At four days, they seem to be almost twice as big!
Persimmon: the "unknown" extra chick.
Kiwi: A Delaware. She's already the top chick.
Apricot: A buff brahma. The shy one.
Olive: A light brahma. She's a trouble maker!
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At five days old, that little yellow pack leader tried to jump/fly out of the brooder to get to me! Time to make a lid for it.
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Now six days old, these girls are getting lots of wing feathers and the beginning of tail feathers. I swear those tail feathers were not there last night!
Kiwi has the most wing feathers, and has all along. She is quickly becoming my favorite because of her friendly nature.
Apricot is the prettiest with all those shades of brown feathers and fuzz. She's the hubby's fav (I think because she resembles our cat!)
Olive is the most photogenic. This is most certainly because she is always watching what's going on. She is the most skittish of the group.
Olive, Apricot, and Persimmon. Persimmon seems to fade into the background. She's not particularly friendly or shy. The jury is still out on her breed.
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One whole week old! My first day back at work and away from them all day. I can't believe how giant they are!!
Persimmon's feathers are changing, adding darker shades in the wings.
Olive has the most tail feathers. I love the black and white!
Apricot is really beginning to demonstrate some personality.
Kiwi likes to try to peck the freckles off my hands.
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Now my little chickies are nine days old. Look at the shoulder feathers coming in!
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12 days! First day outside (in a dog crate). They loved it. Caught bugs and ate grass. I was surprised how they tend to stay by me when we're out. They must feel safer
KIWI
APRICOT
PERSIMMON
OLIVE
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At two weeks old, my little chickies have turned into little monsters!
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19 days old and first night out in the coop. I don't think they or I will be sleeping tonight.
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I seriously cannot believe my babies are three weeks old. Having these little fluff balls is more wonderful than I could have imagined.
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Almost four weeks
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Four weeks old tomorrow... Caught roosting for the first time!
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Four weeks old yesterday and caught doing another first...dust bathing.
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4.5 weeks old and they have finally figured out the "right" way to roost. Yes, I have been spying for the last few days waiting for this moment.
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Today is the five week mark and boy, did this coop take longer than I thought to build! However, every detail is complete except a little painting and some decorating. Woohoo!
-----
Wow! Two days away from the six week mark and these girls go through feed like monsters! It's paying off though, they are getting huge!
Olive
Kiwi
Three in a row: Apricot, Kiwi, Persimmon
Persimmon
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Seven weeks old and these girls are maturing so quickly.
Persimmon and Apricot
I love how their colors have changed. Persimmon is most likely a red sex link. Mystery solved?
Kiwi is getting pink in her face and the little black specks
Olive
-----
Eight weeks and it's getting harder to find the differences from last week. They do seem bigger and they are filling out nicely. Their personalities are coming on strong!
Apricot is a sweetie, although her and "sister" Olive showed hackles to each other this week.
Kiwi is a striking white, not yellowish at all. Beautiful bird.
Olive was not interested in the photo op this week. She's more interested in being number one in the pecking order...I think she succeeded.
Persimmon is a funny one. She is either trying to mimic every little thing Olive does or she is off alone doing her own thing. How cute!
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Nine weeks
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Ten weeks
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Twelve weeks
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At 13 weeks, I think they have finally stopped getting bigger. Now their faces are changing and their vocalizations!
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16 weeks
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18 weeks
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20 weeks
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22 weeks
Where are my eggs?!
Whitening earlobes and huge red combs. Hurry up already!
Apricot:
Least likely to lay the first egg
Kiwi:
She's been squawking and pacing for two weeks. Hopefully any day now.
Persimmon:
The meal maker is not making any meals! But look at that comb.
Olive:
I love her black and white fluffiness. She's finally consistently red-faced.
-----
22 weeks and 2 days:
What!?!?! What!?!?!
e My first egg!
Next to an XL store egg. Soo cute!
-----
22 weeks and 3 days:
Wait...WHAT?!
The egg from yesterday plus two more. All laid in the nest box too...ahh! Can't believe it! Could they be from two or three chickens? Time will tell.
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22 weeks and 4 days:
Seriously?! Two more eggs! They're the most beautiful eggs I've ever seen.
I hope whoever is laying the cracked one stops cracking.
-----
22 weeks and 6 days:
Three eggs today but one got cracked while two were crowding the nest box and then swarmed and eaten. The golf balls are out now and someone seems to want to raise them as her own.
We cracked open a couple eggs today. That are just as beautiful on the inside and the flavor is so rich. Yummy! And that first giant egg was a double yolker!!
-----
-----
After trying a hatch and ending up with three male chicks out of 16 eggs, I ordered another batch from Meyer! When people tell you chickens are addictive, consider yourself warned.
Hatched Aug 11, 2014.
Strawberry - Speckled Sussex (I think)
Plum - Lavender Orpington
Possibly the top of the pecking order.
Olive (2) - Light Brahma
We had to get another one to replace the first Olive, who died from sour crop.
Eggplant - Black Ameraucana
The smallest of them all.
Sarsaparilla - Cuckoo Marans
Pumpkin - Welsummer (I think)
Currently the bottom of the pecking order, but perhaps this is because she was not doing too great at first.
-----
1.5 weeks
Eggplant
Plum
Sarsaparilla
Olive
Please don't be a roo. No tail and only a few wing feathers...
Strawberry
Pumpkin with Olive
-----
Two weeks old! Already!
I cannot wait until they move outside.
Eggplant - working on her pose.
Plum - hoping her coloring evens out and turns a little more purple.
Sarsaparilla - I just love that cuckoo look.
Olive - still no tail compared to her "sister".
Oh Strawberry - getting some attitude
Pumpkin - starting to hold her own with the rest.
-----
3.5 weeks:
-----
4.5 weeks
-----
6 weeks I love this age. They are so funny and personalities are strong.
-----
9 weeks, really?! They're getting to be little chubs!
-----
12 weeks old I'm finally started to relax and stop worrying that one will suddenly start crowing.
-----
Just under 15 weeks; some signs of eggs to come...eventually...hopefully...
-----
Apricot, Persimmon, and Kiwi are about two and a half.
Peppy will be two in a couple months.
Plum, Pumpkin, Olive, Strawberry, Sasaparilla, and Eggplant are
Blue1 and Blue2 are nine months old.
And eggs from all but the twins:
My babies hatched September 16, 2013! (Meyers)
At two days old:
-----
At four days, they seem to be almost twice as big!
Persimmon: the "unknown" extra chick.
Kiwi: A Delaware. She's already the top chick.
Apricot: A buff brahma. The shy one.
Olive: A light brahma. She's a trouble maker!
-----
At five days old, that little yellow pack leader tried to jump/fly out of the brooder to get to me! Time to make a lid for it.
-----
Now six days old, these girls are getting lots of wing feathers and the beginning of tail feathers. I swear those tail feathers were not there last night!
Kiwi has the most wing feathers, and has all along. She is quickly becoming my favorite because of her friendly nature.
Apricot is the prettiest with all those shades of brown feathers and fuzz. She's the hubby's fav (I think because she resembles our cat!)
Olive is the most photogenic. This is most certainly because she is always watching what's going on. She is the most skittish of the group.
Olive, Apricot, and Persimmon. Persimmon seems to fade into the background. She's not particularly friendly or shy. The jury is still out on her breed.
-----
One whole week old! My first day back at work and away from them all day. I can't believe how giant they are!!
Persimmon's feathers are changing, adding darker shades in the wings.
Olive has the most tail feathers. I love the black and white!
Apricot is really beginning to demonstrate some personality.
Kiwi likes to try to peck the freckles off my hands.
-----
Now my little chickies are nine days old. Look at the shoulder feathers coming in!
-----
12 days! First day outside (in a dog crate). They loved it. Caught bugs and ate grass. I was surprised how they tend to stay by me when we're out. They must feel safer
KIWI
APRICOT
PERSIMMON
OLIVE
-----
At two weeks old, my little chickies have turned into little monsters!
-----
19 days old and first night out in the coop. I don't think they or I will be sleeping tonight.
-----
I seriously cannot believe my babies are three weeks old. Having these little fluff balls is more wonderful than I could have imagined.
-----
Almost four weeks
-----
Four weeks old tomorrow... Caught roosting for the first time!
-----
Four weeks old yesterday and caught doing another first...dust bathing.
-----
4.5 weeks old and they have finally figured out the "right" way to roost. Yes, I have been spying for the last few days waiting for this moment.
-----
Today is the five week mark and boy, did this coop take longer than I thought to build! However, every detail is complete except a little painting and some decorating. Woohoo!
-----
Wow! Two days away from the six week mark and these girls go through feed like monsters! It's paying off though, they are getting huge!
Olive
Kiwi
Three in a row: Apricot, Kiwi, Persimmon
Persimmon
-----
Seven weeks old and these girls are maturing so quickly.
Persimmon and Apricot
I love how their colors have changed. Persimmon is most likely a red sex link. Mystery solved?
Kiwi is getting pink in her face and the little black specks
Olive
-----
Eight weeks and it's getting harder to find the differences from last week. They do seem bigger and they are filling out nicely. Their personalities are coming on strong!
Apricot is a sweetie, although her and "sister" Olive showed hackles to each other this week.
Kiwi is a striking white, not yellowish at all. Beautiful bird.
Olive was not interested in the photo op this week. She's more interested in being number one in the pecking order...I think she succeeded.
Persimmon is a funny one. She is either trying to mimic every little thing Olive does or she is off alone doing her own thing. How cute!
------
Nine weeks
------
Ten weeks
-----
Twelve weeks
-----
At 13 weeks, I think they have finally stopped getting bigger. Now their faces are changing and their vocalizations!
-----
16 weeks
-----
18 weeks
-----
20 weeks
-----
22 weeks
Where are my eggs?!
Whitening earlobes and huge red combs. Hurry up already!
Apricot:
Least likely to lay the first egg
Kiwi:
She's been squawking and pacing for two weeks. Hopefully any day now.
Persimmon:
The meal maker is not making any meals! But look at that comb.
Olive:
I love her black and white fluffiness. She's finally consistently red-faced.
-----
22 weeks and 2 days:
What!?!?! What!?!?!
e My first egg!
Next to an XL store egg. Soo cute!
-----
22 weeks and 3 days:
Wait...WHAT?!
The egg from yesterday plus two more. All laid in the nest box too...ahh! Can't believe it! Could they be from two or three chickens? Time will tell.
-----
22 weeks and 4 days:
Seriously?! Two more eggs! They're the most beautiful eggs I've ever seen.
I hope whoever is laying the cracked one stops cracking.
-----
22 weeks and 6 days:
Three eggs today but one got cracked while two were crowding the nest box and then swarmed and eaten. The golf balls are out now and someone seems to want to raise them as her own.
We cracked open a couple eggs today. That are just as beautiful on the inside and the flavor is so rich. Yummy! And that first giant egg was a double yolker!!
-----
-----
After trying a hatch and ending up with three male chicks out of 16 eggs, I ordered another batch from Meyer! When people tell you chickens are addictive, consider yourself warned.
Hatched Aug 11, 2014.
Strawberry - Speckled Sussex (I think)
Plum - Lavender Orpington
Possibly the top of the pecking order.
Olive (2) - Light Brahma
We had to get another one to replace the first Olive, who died from sour crop.
Eggplant - Black Ameraucana
The smallest of them all.
Sarsaparilla - Cuckoo Marans
Pumpkin - Welsummer (I think)
Currently the bottom of the pecking order, but perhaps this is because she was not doing too great at first.
-----
1.5 weeks
Eggplant
Plum
Sarsaparilla
Olive
Please don't be a roo. No tail and only a few wing feathers...
Strawberry
Pumpkin with Olive
-----
Two weeks old! Already!
I cannot wait until they move outside.
Eggplant - working on her pose.
Plum - hoping her coloring evens out and turns a little more purple.
Sarsaparilla - I just love that cuckoo look.
Olive - still no tail compared to her "sister".
Oh Strawberry - getting some attitude
Pumpkin - starting to hold her own with the rest.
-----
3.5 weeks:
-----
4.5 weeks
-----
6 weeks I love this age. They are so funny and personalities are strong.
-----
9 weeks, really?! They're getting to be little chubs!
-----
12 weeks old I'm finally started to relax and stop worrying that one will suddenly start crowing.
-----
Just under 15 weeks; some signs of eggs to come...eventually...hopefully...
-----
Apricot, Persimmon, and Kiwi are about two and a half.
Peppy will be two in a couple months.
Plum, Pumpkin, Olive, Strawberry, Sasaparilla, and Eggplant are
Blue1 and Blue2 are nine months old.
And eggs from all but the twins: