I just don't know were the time goes. The chicks are into their seventh week now. Honey and Darby look like small grown up chickens. Honey, as you can see in the pictures below, is starting to get the red in her face and comb. I'm going to miss the simple chick face. Darby's head feathers are awesome. I have to resist putting hot pink coloring in them. It would so go with her rebellious nature. I've nickname Crystal, Hummingbird. When she perches on my hand her little wings are going so fast that she reminds me of one.
OK I gave them a bowl with sand and sifted soil and sat there waiting to see what they would do. I had planed to video it to show. But it wasn't everything neat. In fact they did nothing with it. After a bit they did start to eat it and poop in it. So I'll try again another time. On Friday I'm going to take the chicks to Megan's class for show and tell. I'm sure I'll have a story to tell for next week.
Week Six
This week was an uneventful one. Three days this week were too windy to let them outside. I was afraid they and their pen would blow away. The wind blew the blow up pool across the yard and moved the outside chicken pen across the patio. I can't believe we went from 100 degree temps to 60 degree temps in a week. I think Mother Nature needs to recheck her palm pilot. LOL.
The Chickie girls are getting too big for the brooder. I really need to get started on the larger indoor coop or Condo is what I'm thinking of calling it. I am having to clean out the brooder more often now. I'm not sure if they are pooping more or just making bigger poops. I have now had to buy one large bag and one medium bag of Carefresh totaling about 30$. Once I get the Condo finished I think I may try using corn cob for the floor. It's about 20$ for a 25 pound bag. I'll have to see if I can clean out the poops easier with the cob. I'm thinking it may be more like a kitty litter box. Scoop the poop and leave the corn cob.I'm hoping to give the girls their first dust bath next week. I'll get video of it. Also I'm going to try again on a mealworm colony. My first try failed. I want to have the mealworms because chickens love them, they are a hoot to watch the chickens eat them and I want to have healthy snacks for my girls. Have a good week.
School Chick Update
My daughter's kindergarten classes hatched these three chicks four weeks ago. Out of twenty eggs only three hatched. They are doing great. One of the teachers has been taking them home with her so they are going to be part of her flock. It's funny to look at them. One is big, one is medium, and the one that is missing an eye is small. They look happy and healthy and are not that afraid of people. Of course though they are living in a class room of kindergartners. I would have to guess this will be my last post about the school chicks since the school year is coming to an end. I wish them luck. Happy peeping!Week Five "The week of heat!"
Hot, Hot, Hot! It's May for goodness sake! Monday I knew the heat wave was coming so I turned off the chick's heat lamp. The chicks spend the afternoons in the outside pen. I give them treats outside like apples cut in half, frozen blueberries and tomatoes cut in half. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday I had to go out of town. I opened every window and door I could without leaving my house vulnerable to bad people. I gave them watermelon and ice cubes in their water. I also put three frozen hard plastic blue ice packs in their brooder. They did fine. Friday the girls and I spent the afternoon in the blow up pool and watched the chicks in the outside pen. I misted the chicks down a few times on Friday as well as the dog. I went inside to start dinner and it was 98 degrees inside the house ARG! I don't have A/C yet. We are going to have to suffer through one more summer with out it. That night the chicks stayed outside until it got dark. The outside pen isn't predator proof so I will not let them stay out past dark. Honey and Darby now have all of their feathers in but with Crystal it's hard to say. Silkie feathers are a lot like chick feathers. They are fast out growing the brooder. I need to get the new indoor coop built but money is tight and we need to wait for that government stimulus check. I'll post pictures of the process.
Week Four Flew By
Ok I worked all week and I finally got the growth chart slideshow working. It's not as fast as I wanted it to be but hey it works. Now you can see just how big they great in just a short amount of time. We put the chicks outside for the first time on Wednesday. I had wanted to do that last weekend but it was just too windy. I will apologize now for the narration by my husband and daughter. But I needed help and getting the chicks is a family project. As for the chicks they are expending their treat pallet. They have had mac and cheese, green beans, fish and I tried cheerios again. All were big hits. My little Honey has lost almost all of her chick down and is still as sweet as can be. Darby with her wild hair due is a little hellion. She is fighting for the top chick position. And Crystal is still the perfect cute chick. This week I plan on putting them outside for a little bit everyday in the mid afternoon. I am waiting to get the money to buy the materials for their new inside coop. That should be happening in the next two to three weeks. I hope they don't out grow the brooder before that.
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