New Chicks in the Flock (pic heavy!)

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

The babies are 2 weeks old today! My, how time flies!


We got peas as a treat to celebrate the milestone. Peas are very tricky things that require a strict set of steps in order to eat.

Step one: Locate peas. Peas are scary at first; stare at them for at least two minutes as if expecting them to attack.

Step two: Pick up a pea. This step is pretty straightforward.

Step three: Keep pea away from siblings. You may not know what to do with it, but you sure don't want anyone else to have it.

Step four: ...Uh, now what?

Step five: Oh, I know! In order to keep siblings from stealing pea, find corner to hide in and then... GULP!

Step six: Well, not really a step, but a rule. Peas held in the hand are much less scary.

Now, with treats out of the way, we modeled for two-week hatchday pictures.

Sassy Marans didn't want to look up from her meal:

(Her feet continue to fascinate me.)

Pip was showing off some pretty new chest feathers:

Iddy Biddy, the one with least feather growth. She was distracted by what SWSSU was doing:

Little Miss Lungs was proudly showing her bracelet today:

SWSSU was alarmed by the camera flash:

These girls have some pretty wing feathers coming in, worthy of close-up shots:

These wings allow us to fly up to places we shouldn't be.

And I would love to post more, but I have some building to do outside!

 

[Fluffballs]

Your girls are getting so big and pretty! They grow so fast!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Of all the times for my camera to die!!


My room had a major rearrangement and so the brooder was moved and there's so much more space!! So I took some newspaper and put it on the floor next to the brooder, and right now, the babies are enjoying some play time outside their brooder with me.

But my camera died, so I don't have any pictures of this event.

But as I'm typing, Little Miss lungs is trying her hardest to peck the keys of the laptop. Sassy Marans is practicing her scratching. SWSSU and Iddy Biddy are pecking at this map in an ad. And Pip is eating all the peas I spread across the newspaper.

They're so super-cute... I'm going to do this again so that I can get pictures next time!!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I replaced Little Miss Lungs' and Pip's leg bands today. I couldn't find the little white ones, so the girlies were upgraded to big girl bands.


Pip is looking cool in blue. She doesn't approve of unscheduled leg-band replacement, though, and she was not happy with her new bracelet.

"Do I have to wear it?"

Little Miss Lungs, meanwhile, got hot pink.

"But I wanted blue!!"

After sulking for a while on it, she came to a conclusion.

"I suppose it's okay..."

"Besides, I can make anything look good."

Meanwhile, Sassy Marans is still getting feathers in left and right.

And Iddy Biddy is just as adorable as ever!

SWSSU remains the last chick afraid of the camera flash still, and so I didn't get a picture of her.

 

[Fluffballs]

Yes, Little Miss Lungs, you are gorgeous no matter what!

 

[Hockeychick]

I absolutely loved reading about your babies. It brought back so many fond memories of raising chicks ( I want to do it again!!!). Thank the little ones for putting a smile on my face today.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Apparently, Little Miss Lungs really didn't like pink.

I checked on them last night, at which point I noticed Little Miss Lungs' pink bracelet had come part of the way off. It was hooked between the little backward-facing toe and the three forward-facing toes on her foot. I made an attempt to fix it (with her objecting the whole time), at which point she kicked her foot hard and it flew off.

There wasn't any way to get it back on her foot, so I grabbed another pink band and attempted to put it on her foot. At this point, she began screaming. Loudly. I made sure I wasn't squeezing her too hard or anything, then went back to work. She continued to scream until, at long last, the band was tightening and she once again kicked it off.

So I grabbed an orange band. After letting her calm down a bit, I grabbed her again and began tightening the band on her leg. She talked, but she was not screaming like before. She let me tighten the band and cut off the excess, and then I sat her in my lap and let her calm down after the ordeal. She seemed fine, though, and perfectly content to sit on my lap at that point. The band was still in place this morning, too.

I guess orange is her color?

Here she is telling me that she told me she didn't like pink.

And on a completely different topic, look at how many feathers Iddy Biddy sprouted in the night!

"I look marvelous, I know."

 

[Fluffballs]

Iddy Bitty looks stunning with her new wing feathers!

Well of course Little Miss Lungs didn't like pink; it doesn't match her legs! Not that orange is much better...

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Today, we had play time again, in which I opened the fence around the brooder to use as a sort of corral and put newspaper down to prevent little messes all over my floor.

Play time went well. We started off a little nervous, but soon became used to the crinkling sound of the paper under our little feet. After that, we practiced flying--lots and lots!

Next, Pip and Iddy Biddy took turns 'conquering' my foot.

"You had your turn, it's my turn now!"

When Little Miss Lungs got a turn, she decided to model with my foot instead.

Sassy Marans preened a bit...

...Then checked the weather.

Little Miss Lungs and Iddy Biddy didn't have the heart to tell her the forecast was out of date.

(I knew the newspaper was old, but I didn't realize it was that old!)



Meanwhile, SWSSU tried and tried to scratch the newspaper, but it just wouldn't move.

So instead, she tried dustbathing in it. That didn't work so well, either.

All in all, I think we had a lot of fun today.

Can't wait until next time!

 

[shelbear81]

Loved reading this!! Thanks so much!! I love Sassy Maran!! She is a beauty... thanks again