avidity
Songster
BYC, Wash.–EXCLUSIVE: Lone survivor of hatch scores one-year modeling deal and lifelong home with new chicken mom and longtime lurker of BYC, Avidity.
The chick, Eldest, is a BBS laced red wyandotte bantam. He hatched with four siblings at Dunlap Hatchery on March 2nd and shipped out that same day alongside several standard chicks. Sadly, Eldest was the only bantam to survive the harrowing journey through the United States Postal Service, which has lately come under fire for refusing to ship live chicks by air.
Pictured above: Eldest (left) with lately deceased sibling (right).
But Eldest's future took a turn for the best when Avidity, originally intending to keep only one blue laced red pullet, chose to make him a permanent member of the flock.
"Boy or girl, blue or black or splash, I'm keeping him," she said in a statement about the devastating loss. "I've only known this baby for a few days but I can't let him go." What's more, Avidity intends to document Eldest's first year of life on the premier forum for the crème de la crème of chicken owners and lovers worldwide, BackYardChickens.com.
"My original plan—to document several chicks at once and practice my photography and sexing skills—that's still on the table," Avidity added. She's currently looking at selecting a future spouse for Eldest from IDEAL or Purely Poultry, the only other hatcheries she could find offering bantam blue laced red wyandottes. "I'll document some of those chicks, too, when they arrive, but Eldest has the stage all to himself until then."
As part of this mini sexing project, Eldest will feature in detail-oriented photos every week for a year with notes describing his changing overall character. The initial documentation, including his debut as a supermodel, can be found below.
Eldest was unable to comment because his beak was full of yogurt. He currently lives in the household brooder alongside Avidity's housemate's chicks and two future flockmates, five-week-old seramas Rarity and Bambi.
ELDEST (hatched: 3/2/2021)
I ordered five chicks and only one survived the first week. I knew chick mortality could be high, but actually seeing it and handling it was unexpected and disheartening. But I'm hopeful for Eldest and want to keep a positive attitude, so here's a little news article thread dedicated to him (and his friends).
The chick, Eldest, is a BBS laced red wyandotte bantam. He hatched with four siblings at Dunlap Hatchery on March 2nd and shipped out that same day alongside several standard chicks. Sadly, Eldest was the only bantam to survive the harrowing journey through the United States Postal Service, which has lately come under fire for refusing to ship live chicks by air.
Pictured above: Eldest (left) with lately deceased sibling (right).
But Eldest's future took a turn for the best when Avidity, originally intending to keep only one blue laced red pullet, chose to make him a permanent member of the flock.
"Boy or girl, blue or black or splash, I'm keeping him," she said in a statement about the devastating loss. "I've only known this baby for a few days but I can't let him go." What's more, Avidity intends to document Eldest's first year of life on the premier forum for the crème de la crème of chicken owners and lovers worldwide, BackYardChickens.com.
"My original plan—to document several chicks at once and practice my photography and sexing skills—that's still on the table," Avidity added. She's currently looking at selecting a future spouse for Eldest from IDEAL or Purely Poultry, the only other hatcheries she could find offering bantam blue laced red wyandottes. "I'll document some of those chicks, too, when they arrive, but Eldest has the stage all to himself until then."
As part of this mini sexing project, Eldest will feature in detail-oriented photos every week for a year with notes describing his changing overall character. The initial documentation, including his debut as a supermodel, can be found below.
Eldest was unable to comment because his beak was full of yogurt. He currently lives in the household brooder alongside Avidity's housemate's chicks and two future flockmates, five-week-old seramas Rarity and Bambi.
ELDEST (hatched: 3/2/2021)
SEX: no guess
BBS: tiny wingtips coming in look white. Could be splash?
NOTES: Chatty. Came with mild pasty butt, which has cleared up. I think the growgel stained his rear end green permanently.
BBS: tiny wingtips coming in look white. Could be splash?
NOTES: Chatty. Came with mild pasty butt, which has cleared up. I think the growgel stained his rear end green permanently.
SEX: no guess
BBS: tiny wingtips still look white!
NOTES: eating, drinking, active. Eldest is the smallest chick in the brooder and often gets trampled. Maybe a little less active than the others?
BBS: tiny wingtips still look white!
NOTES: eating, drinking, active. Eldest is the smallest chick in the brooder and often gets trampled. Maybe a little less active than the others?
I ordered five chicks and only one survived the first week. I knew chick mortality could be high, but actually seeing it and handling it was unexpected and disheartening. But I'm hopeful for Eldest and want to keep a positive attitude, so here's a little news article thread dedicated to him (and his friends).
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