Trooper, the single hatchling

[ShinShien]

I didn't take any pictures yesterday, as I was so busy tending to a litter of 4-week-old pups, finishing the new chicken coop and moving all the chickens around that I forgot all about this project of mine!

Here is Trooper today at 13 days old though...


Here is a back view, you can see some slight tailfeathers starting to push through as well as some back feathers at the top of the wings

Trooper looks like my speckled sussex when they were chicks. What're his parents? I couldn't tell from the collage: bad eyes, so details sometimes escape me. He's adorable, btw. My blue americaunas *sp* are the same age, but they're smaller than him.

 

[BoereMeisie]

Trooper looks like my speckled sussex when they were chicks. What're his parents? I couldn't tell from the collage: bad eyes, so details sometimes escape me. He's adorable, btw. My blue americaunas *sp* are the same age, but they're smaller than him.

He is a Rhode Island Red chick

 

[BoereMeisie]

Hi all. I am sorry for missing a few days, my internet at home is off at the moment so I'm not able to connect from home. I have to go into town to get to a WiFi hotspot to get online, so please pardon if my posts are a few days apart. I am still taking pictures every day though!

 

[BoereMeisie]

So here he is on Monday at exactly 2 weeks (14 days) old.


at 15 Days... Giving me the stink-eye....


16 Days old

And yesterday at 17 days old... The tail feathers coming out nicely!


A back view at 17 days old.... Look at all the feathers!

 

[tatertot]

I don't see a dark line on the head...I'd say trooper is a cockerel ....oh happy belated birthday

 

[BoereMeisie]

I don't see a dark line on the head...I'd say trooper is a cockerel ....oh happy belated birthday

I think another poster mentioned it was their birthday when Trooper hatched. I'm actually hoping that he is a cockerel... Because his dad has become a real meanie who kicks people and as a result I've had to isolate him, which I don't like. If Trooper is a cockerel, he can take over the duty as my breeding bird (to create red sex-linked chicks) and his dad can be culled

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I think another poster mentioned it was their birthday when Trooper hatched. I'm actually hoping that he is a cockerel... Because his dad has become a real meanie who kicks people and as a result I've had to isolate him, which I don't like. If Trooper is a cockerel, he can take over the duty as my breeding bird (to create red sex-linked chicks) and his dad can be culled

If he does end up being a cockerel, he will have some very fine wing feathers for doing the "wing dance" around the hens. I am always impressed by how fast the wing feathers grow on chicks. Hopefully he doesn't have too many "meanie" genes passed on from his father - lol.

 

[tatertot]

Rir pullet chicks have a small thin dark line on their heads..cockerels dont

 

[BoereMeisie]

Day 18...


Day 19... Finally got him moved to something bigger than the cooler box incubator/temporary brooder... He moaned all weekend...



And day 20... A quiet moment while he ate some...

 

[BoereMeisie]

Sorry for the sometimes bad quality of the photos... My good camera broke and I am stuck using a cell phone camera with no flash and very poor quality... Better than no pics I suppose...