New Araucana Chicks, thoughts?

[mamabokbok]

Just updating, Two weeks old today

all seem to be doing well, they have all been healthy and are very strong for such little cheep cheeps and not keen on being held at all so can struggle away easily, there is only one who's quite friendly and will chill out with me

so much for hand raising a bunch of snuggle boks, oh well.. Any tips to help them become comfortable to be held might be useful? I can't believe how they are growing so fast every morning they are noticeably bigger it's always amazed me

the black colour on their legs is changing to a slate grey, but the yellow colour has stayed the same. Their tails and wings are showing 2x black, 1 white, 1 blue/grey which is kind of two toned it's so pretty

and 1 very dark grey/charcoal.. Super cute and starting to look like they approaching the awkward phase

 

[azygous]

Tips for raising tame chicks include reaching from the side for the chicks and not going at them from above, which terrifies them

Now that they're older, you can start taking them outdoors on field trips. Rig a little pen for them in the run, and sit in there with them. If you are down at their level, sitting on the ground, they will have fun climbing on you. Let them examine your hands while they rest harmlessly in your lap. Wait a few days before you try to hold them.

Offer them live meal worms. They will quickly decide it's a terrific idea to be your friend.

 

[mamabokbok]

food is a great way to make friends.. Yeah I set up their brooder in a storage container so I'm always having to pick them up from above which can definitely startle them but I talk to them when I approach and try to move my hand down slowly and on the other side from them so that they can see it at their level first which seems to help them know that it's just pesty old me

a brooder that opened on the side rather than the top probably would be better. I guess that's true they eventually come to you if you sit quietly with them my others never were keen to come even for food but then eventually they just decided I was a good perch

I think that maybe the winter they like to use me as a foot warmer

My hens trust me enough to come jump up on my lap sometimes when I sit outside now but it took over a year for one of them to even come near anyone

They are still super suspicious of anyone else though, they were hiding down near their coop all day because I've had a bunch of family over building the kids a play equipment, when I went down there in the afternoon they decided that it was safe to finally make a run for it to the other side of the yard

I don't try to hold the chicks much admittedly I probably should be more Hands on I guess, I only really pick them up to move them for the cleaning or to check them over, it's my daughter who's supposed to be cuddling them lots, occasionally I try to cuddle one, only one of them enjoys that, I will sit with them and watch them more than anything, they watch me watching them

maybe I will start to take them out and let them explore a bit in the hosue, it's SO hot outside where I am at the moment, so my girls follow the shade around the yard and hide in the bushes in the garden where they feel most cool. When the chicks are big enough to go out, I might put their beginning run underneath the trampoline which is next to the plumb tree, until they are accepted by the adults then I will let them free range too, they don't have a pen large enough for me to sit in with them maybe doing the same thing in the house might work though?

 

[mamabokbok]

[/IMG][/IMG]

5 1/2 weeks old now. Anyone want to have a guess yet?

 

[junebuggena]

[/URL]


5 1/2 weeks old now. Anyone want to have a guess yet?

Still too young yet. Aussie Araucana can be very slow to develop.

 

[mamabokbok]

 

[mamabokbok]

Still too young yet. Aussie Araucana can be very slow to develop.

Owe I know it's too early to be sure, The suspense is killing me though I'm freaking out that 4/5 look male

..one of the black ones i'm sure is definitely a boy, it's already got a textured red comb unlike the others, it's generally a different more scraggly shape with the thickest legs and I don't know why but it's tails actually quite different too. I'm also wondering how they look so far as far as 'Auracanas' go? I never really seen any in person except from a distance and I can't really find any photos to compare them to, not that it really matters I guess, I'm just interested, I can't really join into other discussions here Coz I don't know the answers. I have been sitting outside with them multiple times a day to try getting more friendly with them but that seems to tick off my other girls who are very sulky about all this

and they come inside to sleep but no more heat/light just started to leave them with the door open in the back room Coz it's too hot here, I'm wondering if they actually could go out full time yet or not

I mean last night got down to 18oC I think so I actually closed the doors, which was the lowest it's been in weeks but they were fine, I'm more concerned about the high 30's during the day now, walking them up and down these stairs to try climate control them is getting a bit crazy really, up if it rains but down in the morning, up mid arvo, down late arvo, up at sunset

They do seem to have all their feathers already even under their wings etc?

 

[mamabokbok]

So I finally found actual info/images that made the pea comb make sense to me last night

and now I'm fairly certain that the black chick in the second picture out of the 3 is a boy,it has 3 definite rows of little red bumps forming at the top of its comb (can't get photos as it's feathers over lap this and I need two hands to hold and spread the feathers) they are tiny like the size of 100's & 1,000's but definitely 3 rows of them? The others have none, some are more pink/red and some have a definite, smooth Ridge starting to form in the middle of their combs, but no bumps. I already was fair convinced this one was a boy anyway.

 

[mamabokbok]

Been Suspicious of this one for about a week

 

[mamabokbok]

Ok so these babies are now going on 12 weeks this week! @azygous they have turned out to be very friendly and cuddly thanks for The tips, I spent a lot of time just sitting close to them outside and now we practically trip over them while walking to the shed

no issues catching them which is nice coz they seem to need 'hair cuts' around their eyes, I trimmed here so they could see and it grew back again

? .. I keep going from thinking I've got them figured out to being unsure again

it definitely is tricky to pick who's what, but I'm 100% certain the black boy is a boy there is no doubt with that one and fair sure the other black one is a boy too although the past week I felt maybe there is a chance he's not (and 3Rd black one has been unwell and a fair bit smaller than the others so no idea really, it's the only one that still has a completely flat, yellow comb area) is anyone keen to tell me yet what they think?? This is my definite Mr roo to show comparison for The others, he has been obviously a boy for what 5 weeks now

so I wonder why the others are tricky? ..