The UPDATE: Some of you will remember my post about the chick that wasn't growing like the others. Well they are now just over 2 weeks old (we got them from Ideal on the 20th of June) Well, I am pleased to report that she is still with us and beginning to grow!! I have to thank you all for your advice! It turns out that she just wasn't aggressive enough to forge her own path to the feeder, apparently. I followed the advice of many and immediately acquired a new (LARGER) feeder and also seperated her out with her own bowl of mush made from the chick starter and a couple of drops of Poly-Vi-Sol and water. She sat there and ate for a solid 35 minutes, then just kinda sat back on her haunches and looked at me like I hung the moon. Well naturally this required some ego intervention on her part so it was decided that she needed a GRAND name since she was so small and had fought so hard to keep going So..... LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND CHILDREN OF ALL AGES IT IS MY PLEASURE AND GREAT HONOR TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE ONE THE ONLY.......THE DUTCHESS PENGI!(she is on the right, the small one) The Pengi part was from my roommates insistance that she somehow have "Penguin" in her name because that is what she looks like (sorta). She has become my little buddy so the name THE DUTCHESS GILLIGAN(little buddy reference here) was tossed around (but didn't last for very long) She now sits on her own little dish twice a day to eat her mush and, fling it everywhere. I know when she is full as she will climb off her dish onto my chest/belly (shirt) and proceed to take her perch on my shoulder Where we then watch t.v. for a bit then off to bed(she in the brooder and I in my bed). And the pox on everyone.... No one told me that at only two weeks old I would be walking into the store room to find the big guy on the right in the photo (I am thunking roo!) sitting up on the edge of the brooder looking down over the other chicks!!!!! I could never have dreamed that they could grow this fast! Not just once, but I walked in to find him on the side of the brooder twice this evening! Now how am I supposed to keep them all safe and contained if they are going to do this this early? I guess I gotta get off my duff and get that coop/run finished huh? I cannot believe how big they all are (except for THE DUCHESS of course!) So a pox on you all for not warning us new owners just what to expect!!!!!!! Or was I just absent the day the warnings went out? Anyone wanting to hazard a guess on breed or gender of either chick pictured is welcomed to do so! I am still at a loss as to the breeds of about 60 % of the 25 chicks I got in the assortment from Ideal. I am incredibly pleased however as they are all great birds and very healthy and GROWING!!!!!
Glad to hear your chickie is doing so well! In the meantime, can you put a wire or something over the top so they can not jump out until you get your coop finished? They do grow so fast.
The Dutchess Pengi is so adorable! And the big guy has quite an impressive comb going on for just a 2 week old. I have no guess as to the breeds though.... At 2 weeks old I put my chicks out in the coop as they were attempting to fly out of the brooder every time I opened it. They really loved being in the coop and were up on the roosts within a day of arriving out there. At 4 weeks they were allowed out in to the fenced in and covered run. They LOVE exercising those little wings! Have fun with your babies - hope you learn the breed of them soon! Penny
I will take a bet and say that when the chickens are all grown up, Dutchess will turn out to be some kind of bantam breed. The other chick looks like some kind of LF heavy breed by the looks of his legs.
I was tired last night or I never would have posted that awful picture of them... The big one took a trip through the waterer on his journey to not get caught and put back into the brooder box, He sure does like the freedom that is offered by sitting on the edge of his world and THE DUCHESS was tucked into her corner by the waterer where she tends to hang out thus the both look like they were given a bath and then dragged through the mud. Jean-the big-un has been suggested to be a Jersey Giant As for THEDUCHESS being a bantam... Possible and I have wondered the same myself but I would think that would be a HUGE faux pas on part of Ideal if she is as they are all supposed to be large breed brown eggers as that was the mix I bought. My BO's are just as big as the big-un I just haven't posted a pic of them lately as with their light colors they really show that they need a bath! I am just thrilled that I haven't lost anymore since I lost the one "extra" chick we got very soon after we got them (third day I think)I feel like THE DUCHESS has been a learning lesson I needed.