Chick raising Diary! 🐣 First time raising babies, with a first-time broody-mother (cute chick photos incoming!)

[Insnesnakos]

Saturday 14th October 2023

Lilac and Popcorn are a month old today

The weather has taken a turn for FREEZING this weekend! It felt really cold today, and this evening is almost down to freezing! We'll have a frost overnight for sure. I changed the chick house bedding at bedtime today, and this poor chicks were chirping as they were cold! I put extra bedding and hay in them for to nest in, poor Lily could barely fit in there with it all!

I've not heard them begging Lily for warmth for a while now, so it must be very cold for them!

I was out all day, so only saw them in the morning and evening today, but they are all happy! Nugget and Lilac seem to have proper little tails now, super cute! They have feathers on their back now, just the head to go!

They DEMOLISH the bowls of chickcrumb mash I give them now, I need to top up several times a day!

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Nugget Age: 25 days
Lilac & Popcorn Age: 28 days
Highest daytime temperature: 12c (53f)
Overnight lowest outside temperature tonight: 3c (37f)

They eat a lot at this age
Mine just ate all day

 

[GreenJay]

Amazing how fast they grow! Popcorn is adorable, pretty babies!

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Looking good! And getting big!

 

[Ambera]

Thanks for all the replies!! Hope you are enjoying watching them GROW!

Sunday 15th October 2023

I've started letting them out into the big run whenever I'm up with them now! Pepper isn't bothered by them anymore, neither are they afraid of her! They're enjoying their freedom exploring, flying and running around

Today was freezing again, it didn't get above 10c (50f)! It was nice and sunny though, so I don't think they were too cold!

Lily is keen to show them woodlice and things to eat in the run, but the chicks just seem a bit confused!? I think they're overfaced when the food is almost bigger than them

Pepper is still trying to call the chicks to food, but they only respond to Lily's low-pitched BOP BOP BOP rather than Pepper's cute food call which is more like "Peep peep peep"!

Nugget Age: 26 days
Lilac & Popcorn Age: 29 days
Highest daytime temperature: 10c (50f)
Overnight lowest outside temperature tonight: 2c (35f)
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Monday 16th October 2023

It was cold again today, I could hear the chicks cheeping at Lily to keep them warm! Luckily the cold spell is over tonight, with it getting mild again at night - we've basically had a frost for the past two nights!! And poor Popcorn is still feathering out, they must always be the coldest!

I notice that Popcorn loves to just sit on my hand and warm his little feet up! Poor guy...
I even saw Pop trying to jump onto Pepper's back to warm up and hitch a ride!! She was not impressed and quickly ditched him

Lily is really going through the post-broody moult 2.0 now! She has one tail feather left, and a sort of white dandruff across her back? Never seen a chicken with dandruff before....

It was (belated) weighing day, 3 days rather than 2 days as usual... (I had to get the big bucket out to weigh chunky Nugget!!)

• Nugget: 187g (+10g)
• Lilac: 148g (+14g)
• Popcorn: 115g (+10g)

Oh and Happy one-month birthday to Lilac and Popcorn!!
(I said one-month last post, but that was actually 4 weeks?? They were born on 16th Sept)

Nugget Age: 27 days
Lilac & Popcorn Age: 30 days
Highest daytime temperature: 10c (50f)
Overnight lowest outside temperature tonight: 8c (46f)

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Tuesday 17th October 2023

Warmth returns to the UK! A toasty 13c today, lovely! I had a slightly traumatic day; took the horse out for a ride and she span around at a tractor and basically fell backwards on me (luckily I slid off and landed on my feet!) so I spent more time with the horses than chicks .... Fingers crossed the horse is mostly sound tomorrow...

Lily has lost her last tail feather and looks so silly, will have to get a photo tomorrow!

I think Nugget is cursed to forever have blurry photos

Bonus horse photos...

Nugget Age: 28 days
Lilac & Popcorn Age: 31 days
Highest daytime temperature: 13c (55f)
Overnight lowest outside temperature tonight: 11c (52f)

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Thanks for all the replies!! Hope you are enjoying watching them GROW!

Sunday 15th October 2023

I've started letting them out into the big run whenever I'm up with them now! Pepper isn't bothered by them anymore, neither are they afraid of her! They're enjoying their freedom exploring, flying and running around
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Today was freezing again, it didn't get above 10c (50f)! It was nice and sunny though, so I don't think they were too cold!

Lily is keen to show them woodlice and things to eat in the run, but the chicks just seem a bit confused!? I think they're overfaced when the food is almost bigger than them

View attachment 3661857View attachment 3661858

Pepper is still trying to call the chicks to food, but they only respond to Lily's low-pitched BOP BOP BOP rather than Pepper's cute food call which is more like "Peep peep peep"!


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Nugget Age: 26 days
Lilac & Popcorn Age: 29 days
Highest daytime temperature: 10c (50f)
Overnight lowest outside temperature tonight: 2c (35f)
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Monday 16th October 2023

It was cold again today, I could hear the chicks cheeping at Lily to keep them warm! Luckily the cold spell is over tonight, with it getting mild again at night - we've basically had a frost for the past two nights!! And poor Popcorn is still feathering out, they must always be the coldest!

I notice that Popcorn loves to just sit on my hand and warm his little feet up! Poor guy...
I even saw Pop trying to jump onto Pepper's back to warm up and hitch a ride!! She was not impressed and quickly ditched him

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Lily is really going through the post-broody moult 2.0 now! She has one tail feather left, and a sort of white dandruff across her back? Never seen a chicken with dandruff before....

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It was (belated) weighing day, 3 days rather than 2 days as usual... (I had to get the big bucket out to weigh chunky Nugget!!)

• Nugget: 187g (+10g)
• Lilac: 148g (+14g)
• Popcorn: 115g (+10g)

Oh and Happy one-month birthday to Lilac and Popcorn!!
(I said one-month last post, but that was actually 4 weeks?? They were born on 16th Sept)

Nugget Age: 27 days
Lilac & Popcorn Age: 30 days
Highest daytime temperature: 10c (50f)
Overnight lowest outside temperature tonight: 8c (46f)

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Tuesday 17th October 2023

Warmth returns to the UK! A toasty 13c today, lovely! I had a slightly traumatic day; took the horse out for a ride and she span around at a tractor and basically fell backwards on me (luckily I slid off and landed on my feet!) so I spent more time with the horses than chicks .... Fingers crossed the horse is mostly sound tomorrow...

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Lily has lost her last tail feather and looks so silly, will have to get a photo tomorrow!

I think Nugget is cursed to forever have blurry photos
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Bonus horse photos...
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Nugget Age: 28 days
Lilac & Popcorn Age: 31 days
Highest daytime temperature: 13c (55f)
Overnight lowest outside temperature tonight: 11c (52f)

Looking as sweet as ever! Pop really looks like a male. And your horses are beautiful!

 

[Ambera]

Wednesday 18th - Sunday 22nd October 2023

Oh boy have I got behind! I've been super busy with a new horse and just haven't got around to posting anything here!

I can't remember too much detail on what happened each day, but also they've been very easy to care for and are all growing well! So not much to report on! I haven't weighed them recently either as they've got so big!

Just enjoy some photos from the rest of that week, they're mostly in order!

Nugget Age: 29-33 days
Lilac & Popcorn Age: 32-36 days

 

[Ambera]

Monday 23rd - Sunday 29th October 2023

The chicks are no longer tiny at all! Lilac and Popcorn turned 6 weeks old this week, with Nugget not far behind!

I'm basically 100% sure that Popcorn is the only Roo now, Lilac and Nugget are looking like sweet little pullets
I'm debating renaming Nugget to Nutmeg (I thought she would be a rooster when I named her!)... Nutmeg would fit more with our name theme of all our hens.

They're also developing such little personalities!
Nugget is always the first to jump on my lap, the boldest of the lot! She is also quick to jump off too, never one to sit still! She loves jumping on me as soon as I sit down so she can hopefully get the first bit of corn. Nug is the largest of the lot, getting quite big now! She has developed a ring of ginger around her neck, another great reason to rename her to Nutmeg? Her legs are slightly feathery now, but no where near the feathers of the two true-Pekins!

Lilac is super sweet, but also the most cautious of the bunch. She's the last to come to me or jump onto my lap! She's quite independent, but hangs around with Nug all the time.

Popcorn is super sweet, he just loves to snuggle in to my hand or sit with me. He has fiiiinaaaallly grown most of his feathers, but he loved snuggling for warmth before that! He's the most content to be held and will put up with anything. He also loves a good stroke! Pop does do his own thing and is always a little apart from the other two.... he's also still the tiny one of the bunch! No crowing from him yet... at least not that I've heard......


The nights have started to get colder....
The chicks have had free range of the big run all day - so Lily chooses which house to go to bed in! One night (I think Friday?) she decided to roost in the big hen house, in the nest box. I went to put them to bed and found Lilac and Popcorn cheeping worridly outside! They hadn't followed Lily inside! Nug was with her though... I scooped the two chicks up and put them in the nestbox with mum.

I think Lily learnt her lesson as she hasn't roosted in the big house since! She's back in the mini rabbit hutch with the chicks each night now.... I wonder when she'll take the plunge again?

Here's the photos, roughly in order through the week again!

Nugget Age: 34-40 days
Lilac & Popcorn Age: 37-43 days

 

[GreenJay]

Popcorn!!
Yes, I'd say he's roo, love the collar he's getting, gonna be a handsome fella! Nugget should be Nutmeg, prettier name for a pretty girl

Pretty kitty in the background!!

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Monday 23rd - Sunday 29th October 2023

The chicks are no longer tiny at all! Lilac and Popcorn turned 6 weeks old this week, with Nugget not far behind!

I'm basically 100% sure that Popcorn is the only Roo now, Lilac and Nugget are looking like sweet little pullets
I'm debating renaming Nugget to Nutmeg (I thought she would be a rooster when I named her!)... Nutmeg would fit more with our name theme of all our hens.

They're also developing such little personalities!
Nugget is always the first to jump on my lap, the boldest of the lot! She is also quick to jump off too, never one to sit still! She loves jumping on me as soon as I sit down so she can hopefully get the first bit of corn. Nug is the largest of the lot, getting quite big now! She has developed a ring of ginger around her neck, another great reason to rename her to Nutmeg? Her legs are slightly feathery now, but no where near the feathers of the two true-Pekins!

Lilac is super sweet, but also the most cautious of the bunch. She's the last to come to me or jump onto my lap! She's quite independent, but hangs around with Nug all the time.

Popcorn is super sweet, he just loves to snuggle in to my hand or sit with me. He has fiiiinaaaallly grown most of his feathers, but he loved snuggling for warmth before that! He's the most content to be held and will put up with anything. He also loves a good stroke! Pop does do his own thing and is always a little apart from the other two.... he's also still the tiny one of the bunch! No crowing from him yet... at least not that I've heard......


The nights have started to get colder....
The chicks have had free range of the big run all day - so Lily chooses which house to go to bed in! One night (I think Friday?) she decided to roost in the big hen house, in the nest box. I went to put them to bed and found Lilac and Popcorn cheeping worridly outside! They hadn't followed Lily inside! Nug was with her though... I scooped the two chicks up and put them in the nestbox with mum.

I think Lily learnt her lesson as she hasn't roosted in the big house since! She's back in the mini rabbit hutch with the chicks each night now.... I wonder when she'll take the plunge again?

Here's the photos, roughly in order through the week again!

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Nugget Age: 34-40 days
Lilac & Popcorn Age: 37-43 days

So sweet and big! Nugget or Nutmeg reminds me of my marigold! Popcorn is a handsome little fella all my boys were very clingy too!!!

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Marigold is the one on the left standing tall