Getting Big

The chicks are growing by leaps and bounds.

It's quite amazing really.

Just this weekend they were still these little puffs of fluff -- now?  Now they a little less fluffy and a little more 'chicken-y'.

Growing and changing.

The girls even said, "Mom, they look like real chickens now."  Which was funny in and of itself, but..... they are exactly right.  They are looking more and more like their adult relatives.  Like REAL chickens.

Look at those wings and tails on these chicks.

I'm not sure they are teenagers yet, but at the very least they are well into the toddler stage.  Busy and in to everything.

The other day as we fed and watered them, the girls wanted to hold them -- of course.

As I handed one chick out to the girls, another chick decided to 'test it's wings' and flew -- yes, flew -- out of the open brooder door and right...... down...... to..... the..... floor!  Onto it's little head.  OOPS!

Fortunately, she seems just fine. But.... it caused a lot of panic and 'oh no's' by the girls.

See how brave they are?  Walking on the edge -- literally.
This is how the one little girl 'flew' to the ground.
Bravery at it's best?

I'm amazed at how big their wings have gotten.  They can actually lift off the ground  -- as evidenced by the plucky escape from the brooder.  Get it?  Plucky?  Anyway....

The other amazing thing is their feet.  They were so cute and tiny just a week ago.  It's similar to children -- they obviously have to grow into their feet.  But, they don't seem quite as clumsy as little kids as they transition to 'fitting their feet'.

Just look at those feet!  No longer cute and little, but getting bigger by the day.

They are eating and drinking and scratching and pecking with the best of them.  We all find it comical when they peck at the bedding pieces that stick to the green door of the brooder.  I'm convinced they think it's bugs.  Good practice.

Silver Fox and her friends pecking at the specks on the door.

Still cute as can be, the girls continue to love holding them and spending time watching them.  I do hope they get more used to being handled, but... at the end of the day, they are still CHICKENS. With the circle of life as it is, they may one day end up on our dinner table or in our freezer.  It may be good if they aren't 'too friendly' so the girls don't get overly attached.

Eating food, scratching at the bedding.
Just being..... Chickens.

However, that time is far off.  They will hopefully grow to be productive little egg layers, providing nutritious eggs for our family and living a long happy life in our mini-mountain-menagerie.




Charity is praying her little Silver Fox (the Columbian Wyandotte) is NOT a rooster.  We aren't sure we'll keep any roosters as we don't currently have a need for fertilized eggs and we're not so certain our neighbors would appreciate the early morning wake up call day after day.

We've informed the girls any roosters would likely become dinner once they start crowing.

I can understand her fervent prayer.

We are greatly enjoying watching the development of our little chicks.  Tiny fluff balls losing their 'down covering' as they start to grow their wing and tail feathers.  Each day brings new changes, new looks, new behaviors.

Transforming into mini versions of the adult hens we have outside before our very eyes.

Wonder what is next?  It's fun to watch and learn.