Here is the first group of Chickam chicks, they turned two months old on July 10th. Picture time involved more aggrieved screaming (mostly from me begging them to calm down, shut up, for crying out loud) and struggling than previous years. When they did settle down, we got loads of judgemental looks. We paid through the nose to get all pullets, so no rooboys in this batch!
In the same order as their baby chick pics, here they are:
Supernova, a Mottled Java. A critically endangered breed, now I think I know why--Supernova is a total drama llama and screamed and ran every time we even thought about reaching into the brooder box. Once you caught her she calmed down...but criminy, catching her involved loads of chicken drama that I hope she grows out of once she realizes we aren't gonna eat her.
Derp.
Next is Mayhem, the first of a pair of Russian Orloffs, a threatened breed. Mayhem is the larger of the two, and right now has more barring on her back feathers and black feathers on either side of her comb. Both Mayhem and Havoc are growing in their face fluffies and are super cute. Mayhem was a VERY good girl during picture time, standing very still.
Which of course led to getting her beak booped.
Havoc, Mayhem's sister and another Russian Orloff. Havoc had to be handfed a bit when we first brought her home, but has bounced back and is a healthy girl.
Moose, a Salmon Faverolle, on the Watch list. Another fluffy-faced breed. I think Moose has at last worked out how all those toes go, and is very sweet big sister to the younger chicks.
Moose being cute, and channeling her inner Blaziken, our little disabled chick from last year.
Rainbow, a blue English Orpington and one of THREE Orpington eating machines we got this year, God help us. Further, any time you see 'English' in a chicken breed name it strikes terror in your heart, because you know you're in for a truly gigantic chicken, they make 'em plus-sized over there. She's sweet and really goofy, and she and Doughnut are competing to see who can be the most friendly.
Zigzag, a Jubilee Orpington and while not as peopletropic as her Orpington sisters, a fun girl.
...who screamed her head off during picture time.
But finally settled down.
Doughnut, a chocolate Orpington (and who of course we call 'Chocolate Doughnut'). She LOVES people and always ran over for pets while she was growing up.
Next is Enzyme, a Prairie Bluebell (can't wait till she comes into lay and gifts us with blue eggs). Enzyme wins Butthead of the Year, the only way to get pics of her was for the kid to hold her, otherwise she'd leap away and scream. Weird, because any other time Enzyme is a good, calm girl.
Silly chicken.
Lastly is Huntress, a Bielefelder. She decided she no longer needed her leg band at some point and removed it herself.
That's it for the older set of chicks! The little ones we hatched are 6 weeks old, and turn 8 weeks old on July 25th. Next week they start spending the daylight hours out in the small run to get used to being outdoors & the adult chickens.
It is just blazing hot right now, and not really optimal for introducing chicks to the flock--it's been 100+ degrees for the last week or so...I think I'm gonna adjust things and next spring move our hatch date up by two weeks.
