Monday, April 13, 2009

CHICKENS!!!!

I have been looking forwards to getting chickens for a few years now. It was never the right time and so we kept putting it off. But this year it was the right time. I have brought my babies home and have now had them for 5 days. Their personalities are ever growing and ever amusing. I can't help but see how they change daily and can't wait to see whats new tomorrow. Chickens are so lovely. They have more personality then I could have ever imagined. I can't wait to see them outside chasing bugs and scratching the dirt. They are awesome. We brought home 8. We know 3 are girls the rest we have no idea yet... So I have not named them. Some other them have personality treats that I can guess are pullet or cockeral.... but only time will tell. I also don't know what breed they are. But I will write a little about each chick. This is the pictures of the first 7 days that we have had them.

Isis- One of our Pullets. I think she is a Leghorn, Delaware, White Rock. She is growing wing feathers very quickly and also has some tail feather sprouts. He personality shines through. She is the first to try everything. She was also the first to kinda be a bully. She I think she will be the top of the peaking order. So I gave her the name Isis.. which means "she of the throne".


Gaia- Another of our Pullets. I think she is a Buff Orpington. She has been a very she girl for the first 3 days but is now starting to show a little more personality. She is a soft orange and a little darker orange mix. And is very pretty. She is soft spoken and really just likes to bask in the warm light. But she gets up and plays with all the others too. She is coming around to us now but on day 2 she had a pasty butt and had to be soaked. So she is a little more put off by us. She is getting her feathers a little slower. But she will squabble with Isis and the Yellow/Araucana chick too.

This little Chick we don't know if he is a cockerel or pullet. We think he is either a Araucana or Americana. He was the 2nd to jump up on our hand. He has an out going personalty like Isis and they kinda squabble a little. If one is sitting on us and the other wants to one will knock the other off. His wing feathers are coming in and he has a good amount today. He is one of our out going chicks. We also had to soak his little but one the 1st or 2nd day. He scared me because I didn't know chicks had belly buttons. His belly button still had a scab on it that night and I really thought something was wrong. So I came out and goggled Chicks belly button and figured out they do have them. But I also read about chicks getting belly button infections and a disease called mushy chick disease which scared me to death. So we put some Anti biotic ointment on it and he seems to be doing great. he is also the only chick who doesn't have a single comb sprout but a more round rose comb which really makes me think he is an Araucana.

This next lil chick again we don't know if he is a cockeral or pullet. He is a red island red. He is very shy. But I think that is because he had a pasty but on day 2 or 3 and I had to soak his but to get it off. So he really doesn't like to be handled still. But he likes to look up sideways. He does this more then any of the chicks. He has the cutest beak. It is half red and half yellow. His wing feathers are coming in kinda slow.


This chick we think might be a Cockerel just because he is the only one who stand like this. Every time we pick him up this is how he stands. It is very cute and funny. He has wing tip feathers. But not many more. He likes to jump up on our hand every so often. But he likes to make himself very tall and stick his had way up and look around very often. He is one of our out going chicks. We think he is a barred rock, dominique, or a americana.. I am leaning more toward dominique.

Mabon- The other Pullet that we know of. She is a little shy but is coming around and will now jump on our hands ever so often. She might be getting a little white bud on her wing feathers which are coming in kinda slow. She was all black when we first brought her home though. She was the only all black pullet they had. So I had to bring her home. She did put up a fight though. They really had to chase her to catch her. But she is very lovely. We think she is a black star or black sexton.



We also brought home 3 Bantoms. I was wonting some silkies. But the two I picked where not silkies. Silkies have 5 toes and our only have 4. But they are cute and we love them. We don't know the sex of either feather footers. They are really pretty. It is now becoming apparent just how small they are compared to the normal sized chickens. They both have single combs as far as I can tell. I think they are Cochins or Brahams.

This little brown chick is super cute. He is very she. The night we brought them home he had a pasty bottom and had to be soaked. Then we had to soak his bottom again yesterday. But he is doing good. Very shy though. I guess I can't blame him. He has been here 4 days and has been soaked 2 times. His feathers are coming in pretty fast on his wings. Next to Isis he is the most feathers.

This little chick is coming out of his shell....lol.. he is coming around to us more now. He hasn't had to have any soaks but he was very shy. In the last day he has started getting closer to us and even jumped on Johns hand yesterday. He is getting his feathers alot slower then the brown bantum.

But like I said above everyones personality is growing. Last night I was watching them play with a piece of lettuce. One chick would grab it and run like they were playing touch foot ball or something. It was awesome to watch. They also like to run across there enclosure and flap there wings like they are trying to learn to fly. That is great to watch too. They also play like leap frog or something. But like surprise leap frog... One will be standing there and laying and surprise another will land right on top of the other. You will here a chirp from the one who got landed on and a chirp from the one who did the landing. They are full of energy. I have started introducing veggies. They have had lettuce, tomato, & potato skin. I Have also given them apple. They seem very interested in all of it. I think I am going to try orange and kale tonight. We are also getting them organic chicken feed which we have to special order from tractor supply co. It is the Blue Seal brand. It is $28.99 a bag right now. So it is about double the price of regular. But I want them to be healthy and not a ton of extra additives being added to their food. But I will update on everything to do with them. I am so happy to have them in our lives. I will also put up brooding info, disease, foods.. I might start a chicken blog actually... as soon as I come up with a good name!!!

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