My Lucky Dozen Banty Chicks :)

[TattooedChicks]

[Updated & aged photos to follow regularly]

So I have survived 2 long, sleep-deprived weeks of raising chicks in my spare bedroom, and my happiness is immeasurable even after losing a runty chick. I'm starting to feel a bit more confident in the rest of the brood's survival. Now it's time for the name game to begin as colors, genders and personalities start to emerge. Any boys in the group will have to be rehomed, but that doesn't mean I can't love 'em in the interim before the crowing starts and goodbyes must be made.

I'm thinking food, herb, and spice names, like Salsa, Gumbo, Curry, Ginger, Lemon, Bourbon, Dumpling, Pepper, Honey, Hazel, Noodle, Basil, Cannoli, etc etc. Feel free to chime in if you have ideas or guesses!

Forgive me now for all the pictures, I'm just so happy I get to share with the people who inspired me to do backyard chickens in the first place!

I have no idea what the MF's are gender wise. They were 2 weeks old yesterday. The black and white mottled chicks are very shy and quiet. MF 4 is the most curious and biggest thus far.





These chicks will be 3 weeks on Monday. I am most suspicious of 1, 4 and 6 of being roos, they are the rowdy troublemakers and first to come get snacks from my hand. OEG 1 has been the boldest and fastest developing of all the babies. OEG 3 is the smallest and most flighty in this group.

 

[CascadiaRiver]

OEGB 6 is DEFIANTLY a male!

 

[TattooedChicks]

That little comb is getting redder by the day! I was hoping they'd all be my little girls forever, but some of them ruining all my plans.

 

[TattooedChicks]

Today was a big day! An old box helped expand the brooder by several square feet. Let the playing begin!

But, not 5 minutes after the construction...



Someone flaps over onto my desk and poops on the name list before I nabbed them. They picked "Bourbon".

 

[TattooedChicks]

Week3 Update!

So the Old English Game chicks are just about a month old, and the D'uccles are right behind them. That means it's time for more pictures, right? And the game continues for names, colors, and genders! Plus, DH thought to be sweet with a dozen pink roses, one for each "girl", at least he hopes.

Thus far I have found people to take up to 3 of my potential roos, but any more and there may be a FREE bird post here before long... I tried to keep them in the same order as the last pictures to show growth and development.




Gumbo & Honey




Cannoli & Waffle



Dumpling & Bourbon


Hazel



Pepper & Noodles

I'm guessing all of these are regular Mille Fleurs



Tequila, Ginger, & Lemon

 

[CascadiaRiver]

I think that your colours are mostly right besides Waffle and Bourbon who could possibly be a spangled as well, your two Black/Blue milles are kinda confusing me LOL if you bought them as mottled I would assume you'd see more white right now... They could be solid black/blue but then again I havent really raised many mottled birds!
Your mille's all look really promising as being ladies as I could tell my boy was a little boy in week two!!
I would think your roo babies would be Gumbo and Bourbon and maybe Waffle

 

[TattooedChicks]

Waffle and Bourbon actually had a few extra tiny white spots on their backs last week, but they seem to be either going away or are getting eaten off! Now it's just those random flecks as their bodies get dark around their breasts. As for the mottled babies, I bought them in a box of "Mille Fleur Bantams" (I'm guessing easier for people to say than D'uccle), and the whole group was mixed with a few very pale birds too. Noodles started just as black with white outer wing feathers, but now is getting lighter by the day!

And I'm also thinking those 3 are boys, always the favorites, right?

 

[CascadiaRiver]

Waffle and Bourbon actually had a few extra tiny white spots on their backs last week, but they seem to be either going away or are getting eaten off! Now it's just those random flecks as their bodies get dark around their breasts. As for the mottled babies, I bought them in a box of "Mille Fleur Bantams" (I'm guessing easier for people to say than D'uccle), and the whole group was mixed with a few very pale birds too. Noodles started just as black with white outer wing feathers, but now is getting lighter by the day!

And I'm also thinking those 3 are boys, always the favorites, right?

Boys are always favorites because they are so sweet!

and if they were in as "Mille Fleur Bantams" They could even be Botted Bantams (aka Sabelpoots) http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Sabel/BRKSabel.html or at least the black/blue ones could be

 

[TattooedChicks]

Boys are always favorites because they are so sweet!

and if they were in as "Mille Fleur Bantams" They could even be Botted Bantams (aka Sabelpoots) http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Sabel/BRKSabel.html or at least the black/blue ones could be

Sweet and brave, always the first to find the treat hand!

I'll have to do some research then! Maybe there is something out there to explain the difference between the breeds. And is it me, or do their feet feathers look longer than a D'uccle?

 

[CascadiaRiver]

Sweet and brave, always the first to find the treat hand!

I'll have to do some research then! Maybe there is something out there to explain the difference between the breeds. And is it me, or do their feet feathers look longer than a D'uccle?

YES!!! Booted bantams seem to have MUCH longer leg/boot feathers!! Our booted could grow hers out to be 4+ inches but we always cut them since she wasn't really a show bird and they inhibited her walking/running compared to our other birdies