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- #181
UPDATE: Day 88 (about 12.5 weeks, almost 3 months)
I haven't posted any updates on here in a while, but Ivory looks quite different now! He is now fully feathers with a few downy feathers still clinging on under his real feathers. He has a small, stubby tail, just like a hen. His wattles have grown out more but are staying at the size they are now, and so is his comb. My dad thinks he's a hen, but he just has to grow into his comb and wattles because he was stunted. His short tail is starting to make me think there's a possibility that my dad is right. Some hens have bigger combs and wattles than others. His spurs are still tiny nubs that started to grow out but are still very small. His face has also turned very bright red lately.
Ivory is doing very well so far as for growth. He is still living in his big plastic box, which he has just recently learned to jump out of. But he just jumps up onto the side and perches there. While I'm gone somewhere I put a light cover over it to keep him from escaping while I'm not there to supervise him, just in case.
I've been slowly introducing him to his future flock. I can only do it on the weekends though, which slows down the process even more.
The older chickens seem interested in him, but they all go against him. Some will chase him around and others will peck him if he goes near them, which he never does because he's obviously very terrified of them. If one starts walking over to examine him, he will come running back over to me to hide near my legs for protection. I only intervene when they get too rough, which doesn't happen too often unless he gets cornered by one of the hens because otherwise if one gets near him, he's off running as fast as he can.
So it's a slow progress...Now that he's older, despite how much I keep his box clean, Ive noticed that the smell from it is beginning to affect my entire room.
I don't really mind it, but my sister is coming back from college in a few weeks and she shares the same room as me, so I doubt she will appreciate the smell. So for the next few weeks I need to get Ivory used to going outside as much as I can. It's gonna be sad for me to finally leave him behind with his new flock. I've brought him everywhere and ever since he hatched, he's been living in my bedroom in his box. Every night, he's the last thing I see and hear. Every morning, he's one of the first things I see. As soon as I get back home, he's the first thing I check up on. So basically he's become a pretty big part of my daily schedule, and it's gonna be different when it's finally time for me to leave him behind for the first time.
I know, it sounds weird, but when you've lived with and raised a baby chick from the day he hatched for almost 3 months like I have with Ivory, it's sad to finally give him up and let him be on his own. But I know he must join his own flock sooner or later, and it would be unfair for me to keep him in his box (as much as he likes it...it's basically his only home that he's ever lived in and he enjoys it because after being away from it for his play time he clucks happily every time I bring him back to it.
).
Also, Ivory still has a baby chick voice! Well, it's deeper than a really young baby chick, but it's still sounding like a higher pitched peeping than what it should be. It's really cute, though.
It's like an almost-adult chicken in a month-old or younger chicken's body with its voice.
Now here are the pictures!
I haven't posted any updates on here in a while, but Ivory looks quite different now! He is now fully feathers with a few downy feathers still clinging on under his real feathers. He has a small, stubby tail, just like a hen. His wattles have grown out more but are staying at the size they are now, and so is his comb. My dad thinks he's a hen, but he just has to grow into his comb and wattles because he was stunted. His short tail is starting to make me think there's a possibility that my dad is right. Some hens have bigger combs and wattles than others. His spurs are still tiny nubs that started to grow out but are still very small. His face has also turned very bright red lately.
Ivory is doing very well so far as for growth. He is still living in his big plastic box, which he has just recently learned to jump out of. But he just jumps up onto the side and perches there. While I'm gone somewhere I put a light cover over it to keep him from escaping while I'm not there to supervise him, just in case.
I've been slowly introducing him to his future flock. I can only do it on the weekends though, which slows down the process even more.
Also, Ivory still has a baby chick voice! Well, it's deeper than a really young baby chick, but it's still sounding like a higher pitched peeping than what it should be. It's really cute, though.
Now here are the pictures!
