Hens go broody when you don’t want them to… and won’t go broody when you do. 
So today the brooder box really needed cleaning, and we took the chicks out to the new coop and run and let them explore the run during the cleaning.
They huddled together for a few, then decided this was interesting.
About five different times, Cera (mottled EE) flew up to my lap and climbed up to sit on my shoulder again. She is such a sweetie, and likes being on shoulders and likes getting petted.
The fourth time, Steggie (red sexlink) decided she should try this too, and flew up to my lap! She's developing feathers all the way from her head down the back of her neck, like a weird racing stripe.
Tyra (black Australorp) is the least social. Also has a heck of an up-pointed tail - I don't know if that makes it likelier to be a cockerel. Hope not.
@Purple Rose 's cat Tybalt got some outdoor time too, and came to check on the chicks.
Later on Tiny Terri was doing this thing where she'd flap her wings out, sorta hold them out, and then sorta rush at the other birds. Definitely looked to be a bit of an aggressive move. Which looks funny as she's so much smaller than they are. She's the one that I was supposed to get a Leghorn hybrid, but she's definitely not that, best guess I have right now is bantam white cochin. I wish I'd gotten that thing on video. Is that a maybe-a-roo thing?
When it started to get dark, they seemed to huddle closer together, and Tyra was making this different call - not the cheep cheep the others were - I did get that on video.
Tomorrow supposedly K. will mow the lawn, and hopefully over the holiday M. will help get the apron on. And we need to add a latch of some kind to the door to the nest boxes. I so want to move these babies in - both because I want to get the city inspection OVER with and because it feels like they're ready.
They huddled together for a few, then decided this was interesting.
About five different times, Cera (mottled EE) flew up to my lap and climbed up to sit on my shoulder again. She is such a sweetie, and likes being on shoulders and likes getting petted.
The fourth time, Steggie (red sexlink) decided she should try this too, and flew up to my lap! She's developing feathers all the way from her head down the back of her neck, like a weird racing stripe.
Tyra (black Australorp) is the least social. Also has a heck of an up-pointed tail - I don't know if that makes it likelier to be a cockerel. Hope not.
@Purple Rose 's cat Tybalt got some outdoor time too, and came to check on the chicks.
Later on Tiny Terri was doing this thing where she'd flap her wings out, sorta hold them out, and then sorta rush at the other birds. Definitely looked to be a bit of an aggressive move. Which looks funny as she's so much smaller than they are. She's the one that I was supposed to get a Leghorn hybrid, but she's definitely not that, best guess I have right now is bantam white cochin. I wish I'd gotten that thing on video. Is that a maybe-a-roo thing?
When it started to get dark, they seemed to huddle closer together, and Tyra was making this different call - not the cheep cheep the others were - I did get that on video.
Tomorrow supposedly K. will mow the lawn, and hopefully over the holiday M. will help get the apron on. And we need to add a latch of some kind to the door to the nest boxes. I so want to move these babies in - both because I want to get the city inspection OVER with and because it feels like they're ready.
