Since this is our 15th year of doing Chickam, we did two hatches this year! The first group hatched in April on Easter weekend and are now 9 weeks old. We had a thunderstorms delaying me getting decent pictures, so now, in order of hatch, here they are.
No vulture hocks (elongated, stiffened outer thigh feathers) so far, so I doubt the either of our Belgian d'Uccle mix roos are daddys this year. Time will tell if Bobbie, our buff Brahma roo got in here at all. Most of this year's chicks appear to have Mjolnir, our Buff Orpington roo for a daddy--he's been a busy guy! Any roos we hatch will have to be rehomed since we already have too many roos as it is. We also may end up rehoming a few of the girls...all that will be decided later.
Imminent Disaster, hatched from a medium-sized, olive green egg (#11). Mom is one of our Americaunas/Americaunas mix girls, likely either Peanut or Cheese.
Dubious Intentions, hatched from a small/medium light pink/brown egg (#24). Mom might be Kentucky, Kana or Bonesaw. A wee bit of Americaunas in there, showing in her modest face fluffies. Despite making me think at first she was a roo, she's turned out to be a hen! Dubi is pathologically friendly and curious, whenever we go out into the yard she is instantly underfoot pecking at your shoes, pant legs, whatever, and demands to be picked up.
Great pic except for the wonky foot pose.
Derp.
In fact, Dubi is a total dork who specializes in the fine art of 'Derp' for chickens.
Foot inspection...
RAN to check out the camera...
And had to be propped up somewhat.
Scraunch, hatched from a small/medium light tan egg (#23). Scraunch really IS this cute in real life, too. Scraunch also has some Americaunas in there somewhere, as you can see from the face fluffies.
Bort Grungus, hatched from a medium-sized light blue egg (#14). When she was little, Bort looked so much like Scraunch that she had to wear a green food color spot.
Garibaldi, hatched from a small tan egg (#4) laid by Brick, a bantam Cochin/Belgian d'Uccle mix hen. Can't see them well here, but Garabaldi has some lovely gray tail feathers coming in.
Lastly is Brian/Mooncake, hatched from a large, long, pointed olive green egg (#9). Mooncake is a big, reddish rooster.
And...because it's US, we had to add in a couple of chicks from a local poultry swap.
First is Triffid, a now 3 month old Brabanter (I think) mix roo. While he's fun and pretty, we already have too many roos and he'll have to be rehomed.
He kept trying to jump on my head during picture time, the kid had to restrain him.
Wingding, Silkie hen, approximately 2 months old. When we first got her I really thought she was a frizzle, but now doesn't look like one...time till tell!
Pardon her 'I've rolled in corn' look--she'd rolled in corn. Despite how it looks in the pictures, she really does have a face.
See?
Lastly is Eggroll, a two month old Splash Blue Laced Red Wyandotte.
Kinda.
As she gets older, I swear she's looking more and more like a Cornish, especially her head. Also, she has the size and shape of a shotput, typical of a Cornish...and has been concentrating heavily on growing chicken meat--also typical of a Cornish. Eggroll is stubbornly resisting growing a tail and back/chest feathers, because...well, she's concentrating on growing chicken meat. She's been very quiet...Cornish I've had in the past had gravely voices, a high sign of the breed. If she'd talk, I'd know what she was!
Again, time will tell what the heck she'll turn out to be. But her colors are gorgeous!
Eggroll has a bit of a wonky head. As a Scratch and Dent bin chicken, she fits right in here.
And yes, you're being judged by a chicken. She's not angry, just disappointed in you. Level up, for cry-yi!
Technically not a chick but an adult frizzle bantam Cochin hen, we got Swiffer at the same time at the poultry swap. Swiffer had a really tough start at first but is doing fantastic--she's broody right now and a holy terror for the rest of the flock!
The Chickam Hatch #2 chicks are 1 month old now. Cao Cao just started crowing today. Spam *might* also be a roo, but Deliciousaurus is a hen. There ARE vulture hocks showing in that batch, so somebody other than Mjolnir got in there for daddy!
