New Chicks in the Flock (pic heavy!)

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

We're 3 weeks old today! e

We started off the celebration by posing for our 3 week pictures.

Here's Pip, who was alarmed by all the excitement.

SWSSU held this pose for the longest time, as if just waiting for her picture to be taken.

Little Miss Lungs was more interested in her reflection in the camera's lens than she was in posing for her picture.

This picture of Iddy Biddy beside SWSSU shows just how far behind this girl is in growth.

And finally, Sassy Marans.

Sassy Marans has so many frilly feathers coming in on her feet now, too.

It is because of this that we've decided upon Sassy Marans' big-girl name. Sassy Marans will now be known as Frou-Frou--a term of French origin meaning "frilly; heavily ornamental; fancy; overly elaborate, particularly as regards clothing". I thought it was fitting on multiple levels, and plus I kind of wanted a repeating name for her (hence why one of my tentative names was Jayjay, not just Jay, after the bird.)

Frou-Frou is a sweetheart. After the storms the other day, when I held her in an attempt to get her to quiet down, she'll come over and let me pick her up, peeping softly the whole time she's held.



Anyway, back to the celebration!

We got yogurt as our 3-week-old treat!

Yogurt is a very scary thing that must be approached with caution! But first, you obviously have to stare at it for a little while!

After staring, you should run up and peck, then freak out at what's stuck to your beak. ...Hey, wait, that's not so bad!

Yogurt can get messy. SWSSU learned this the hard way.

(I don't even know how she managed to get yogurt on the back of her head.)


Of course, like with everything in life, it's much better when eaten from the hand.

But a little bit of chick crumbles sprinkled on top can make it just as good.

With the weather as it has been the past few days, I've been a little cautious about outside trips for the babies. Perhaps by next week, we will have taken our first outside photo op...

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Uh-oh!

Looks like Pip was flying a little too high!

I came into my room to find the Pipster stuck between the brooder's wall and the fence I put around it. This happens every year without fail because no matter how I put that brooder in there, there's always a gap somewhere.

(Here you can see Little Miss Lungs peering over to see where her broodermate ended up. She really isn't that tall, it was just the angle I had the camera at. )

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Neck feathers...

...And head pins...

...Feathers left and right...

Yes, I think it's official. We're now 'teenage' chicks.

We still nap like chicks.

Little Miss Lungs crashes like a chick still.

And no one could deny that Iddy Biddy still has chick-like features.

But for the most part, we've entered that awkward stage between chick-hood and adulthood.

Good thing we have such pretty feathers, eh?

 

[Snooglerat]

Just love it! Mine and your chicks are almost the exact same age. It is so neat to see other peoples chicks growing like mine Unfortunately out of 5 chicks I think I have 3 roos! I just love Sassy Marans, I mean Frou-Frou. I want a chicken just like her!

 

[shelbear81]

I had a slow sprouter, and someone gave me the advice of giving more protein, so she gets mealworms and spinach, but mostly mealworms and she had sprouted so big and fast she is almost caught up with her brood mates!! Good Luck!

 

[Fluffballs]

Oh my goodness! They've grown so big and pretty! I think Pip is absolutely breathtaking.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Just an update for those of you interested:

Sorry I haven't posted here in a couple days. The chicks are just fine, but it's gonna be one more day before I'll get pictures and update on them. I've been too afraid to take them out in this heat, so I have no outside pictures this week. :/

I have been busier with the big girls rather than the babies recently. This heat is killer, and it came close to claiming one of the hens last night. I found one of our 6 year old Rhode Island reds collapsed in the run, unable to get to her feet again. Our forecast says we will have slightly cooler weather tomorrow and maybe rain tonight ( ), so I just have to keep her going this last, hot day and we should be alright.

Best wishes to everyone else fighting this heat!

 

[Hockeychick]

Good luck with the hens...I worry way more about the ladies in this heat than I do in the cold.

I have 4 Speckled Sussex who are now 2.5 years old. One of the girls, Whirly Bird, was very small in the beginning, and seemed to develop slower than the other birds. We gave her extra vitamins (polyvisol), so I don't know if that helped at all, but Whirly eventually caught up to the other three. All four are healthy, heavy birds now. They seem to be happier than the other breeds to wander off in the woods and look for all sorts of creepy crawlies. This isn't to say that they aren't friendly - they run right up to us and seem to not be afraid of much of anything. They are smart and curious. Best of luck with the little ones. I so enjoy seeing their pictures.

 

[Fluffballs]

Yikes! Hope everyone's OK!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

We're doing good! Everyone's okay! Pace (the 6yo RIR that collapsed the other day) made a full recovery and is doing just fine. We had temps in the upper 80's today, practically chilly in comparison to the 110 degree weather we were experiencing for a couple weeks, so I spent most of my day with the big girls, just appreciating them and being thankful that they all pulled through that extreme heat!

I never got around to taking pictures today, but Frou-frou got to meet my almost-3-year-old niece. Frou-frou is such a sweetie. She'll let me pick her up and carry her around the house now, just peeping lightly as if making observations. I carried her over to my niece's room as she was going to bed and my niece was so excited to see her! Frou-frou got a rather rough petting and was yelled at excitedly until I decided I would spare her her eardrums. So my niece said, 'Night-night, Frou-frou.' and I took the little Marans back to the safety of the brooder.

My niece turns 3 tomorrow, which happens to be the same day that the babies turn 4 weeks old! I will have chick pictures tomorrow, though I may or may not have a treat prepared by then as I will be busy with my niece. I'll be sure to have something around for them when they turn a month old on the 11th, though!