New Chicks in the Flock (pic heavy!)

[Fluffballs]

Happy month-old birthday, chicks!!!!!!!!!

 

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We're 4 weeks old today!!

So after making breakfast for my niece (she wanted banana muffins after I suggested them or homemade cinnamon rolls), and taking pictures while she opened presents, I decided it was time to take pictures of the other 'birthday' girls!

Frou-frou is turning into a marvelous beauty.

Her feet continue to feather out as usual.

Pip has been really shy lately. She wasn't looking forward to a picture today.

But she's so lovely now that I couldn't help myself.

Iddy Biddy's still, well, iddy biddy.

Her toes appear to have stopped curling now and remain in this state:

SWSSU avoided the camera at all costs, resulting in this being her only solo picture:

And finally, we have fabulous Little Miss Lungs, whose name no longer fits her as Frou-frou has taken over as the loudmouth of the group. As such, I have decided on a grown-up name for her as well. It only seems fitting that Little Miss Lungs' grown-up name would be Fancy. So everyone, meet Fancy.

Among the festivities today was Frou-frou's swan impression:

The Iddy Biddy Sandwich, formed by Fancy and SWSSU:

And some good old fashioned quality time with Fancy. Though she has grown, she feels just as much at home in my hand as ever:

As a matter of fact, when I needed my hand to adjust the camera, Fancy decided if she couldn't perch there, she would perch on my foot:

Now, that's all the time I had. It's cake time and I want to be there to see my niece blow out the candles!

 

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Anyone interested, I have compiled all the babies '-week old' pictures onto this page, if you want to see in one place how they have progressed since day one:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/kristins-chickens-generation-7

 

[Fluffballs]

My goodness! They're so big and beautiful! Happy birthday to you, chickies!

 

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Okay, I have had enough of this waterer!!

Today, I had to clean out that end of the brooder--AGAIN--because the waterer leaked out and soaked the bedding. This has been going on from DAY ONE, progressively getting worse the longer I've used it. This thing is garbage!

And you know what the BIG problem is? They decided to put actual slits in the base to attach it to the top:

As you can see, these slits go all the way through, and they're the place that has been leaking! Talk about a faulted design!

Fair warning--Those of you in the market for this style of waterer, make sure the bottom is solid or you're going to have problems!



This makeshift waterer, made from a tiny chick waterer, some bungees, and some duct tape, works better than that other waterer! Pip is modelling beside it to show the size. (Don't mind the crud in it; I dropped a pine pellet in it and it crumbled to sawdust in the water.)

Is this worth writing a review over? This company used to make great waterers without those slits going all the way through and we would buy one each year for our chicks. I don't want to tarnish their reputation on BYC if this was a one-time thing for them.

 

[UnderHisWings]

We have waterer with the same design! I thought the bedding was just getting wet because someone was cleaning it out and putting all the wet pine shavings that were kicked into it onto the bedding! OK, now it makes more sense! I had put a garbage bag under the waterer and that at least kept the wetness contained.... I think you should write a review, btw.

 

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Okay, the babies are 30 days old today--which was technically their one-month 'birthday', but I didn't get around to their planned trip outside because I didn't have anywhere to put them where they'd be contained and safe. So I spent an hour at dusk trying to slap together a little pen that I'll have to finish tomorrow morning. It isn't much, but it'll put them in a nice, shady, grassy spot for their first trip outside.

In case anyone wondered, yes, I do usually start taking my chicks out sooner. This year, around the time I got these babies, my entire flock was being treated for something that killed one of my bantams and appeared to be moving through the other birds. I have been cautious about exposing the babies to that, but gradually exposing them through dirt on my hands and feet. All seems well, so I will give them a full exposure tomorrow--under my watchful eye! (I'm also really cautious because last year's chicks got coccidiosis on their first trip outside. I'm hoping that won't happen this year!)

So instead of outside pictures today, I got pictures of the chicks looking longingly up at me.

Frou-frou went a little zombie-eyes on me.

Iddy Biddy wasn't sure why the camera was hovering overhead.

Fancy had to look her best for the camera, even from this angle.

Pip kept looking away every time the camera flashed.

SWSSU was caught mid-stretch.

It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow, and as long as it is there will be pictures of the babies' first trip out!!

 

[Fluffballs]

Can't wait to see them!

 

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Phew--long day!

After starting to build a new enclosure for my Guinea fowl and going to visit my aunt (which took longer than I was promised, but it was alright), I finally got the chance to take the babies outside for the first time! They were pretty calm as I moved them to the box I used for transport, but kind of got worried when the lid went on. Fancy peeked out of the handle hole to see what was up and I reassured her, but it didn't help. There were complaints the whole walk from the brooder to the outside pen, and when I finally got them set up and took the lid off the box, they didn't know what to think.

SWSSU took a peek at the big, outside world.

After being removed from the box, Frou-frou and Fancy decided that they didn't like the feeling of grass on their feet.

Pip met Flicker, a red sexlink who followed me out to the chicky-pen because she assumed the box was full of treats for her.

Afterward, she, too, decided the ground was too unsafe to be on.

Iddy Biddy took the first few tastes of grass.

Meanwhile, Fancy had decided it was safe to touch the ground, but Frou-frou felt the need to separate herself from it further, so she scrambled her way up my leg...

...And onto my lap, where she sat for a long while.

As Frou-frou settled in as far away from the grass as she could get, Fancy took her first taste of it.

The little ones finally discovered the waterer at that corner of the pen.

And Pip caught the first bug--here she is after gulping it down:

I decided at some point to get Frou-frou used to grass, and so I put her on the edge of the cardboard I was sitting on. It unnerved her being that close to the grass.

Eventually, though, Fancy encouraged her off the cardboard...

...And Iddy Biddy showed her how to peck at the grass.

In the end, Frou-frou never became as comfortable as the others with the grass.

I have never had a chick so opposed to the idea of being outside, and I never expected Frou-frou to be the scaredy-bird of the crowd! Too bad our dogs aren't chicken-safe or we might have had a house chicken on our hands!

 

[Fluffballs]

Oh dear! A chicken afraid of grass! That's too funny!