The "baby babies"

I have a lot of chickens. And to categorize the different age groups, we sometimes call them by the "Girls," "The babies," "The baby babies," and "The chicks," or "Baby baby babies."

So, let's give an update first on "The baby baby babies!" These little tykes just hatched this last Friday through Saturday, and are doing fine now. We experienced the loss of two Jersey Giants out of a great hatch of 10/11 but haven't experienced any troubles since then.

In fact, we had one who hatched out with its yolk still hanging from its behind, and another chick eventually pecked and popped it. . . There went all its nutrients for the next two days all over the bottom of the incubator. . . And there was nothing we could do about it until the hatch was completely done. Well, once we finally pulled everyone out of the incubator, the chick was really small and skinny, quite lifeless, and couldn't even open its eyes. After hours of forcing it to drink, trying somehow to make it eat, and keeping watch of it, I had to go to bed. . . The next morning it was still alive. In fact, a day later after much care put into it, the chick began to open its eyes. Now, it's still small and skinny, but isn't quite so weak anymore.

This is all the chicks in the brooder just yesterday:



The black ones are Black Copper Marans and Black Jersey Giants. The blue/grey ones are Blue Jersey Giants. The huge, fluffy yellow-white ones are Wheaten and Blue Wheaten Marans. The one truly white one on the left is a Polish x Easter Egger. The cutie will be our one and only white chicken, and should grow up to have a tiny crest on its head and lay mint green eggs.

Here's a closeup of a Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Ameraucana. This one, like a couple, is marked. The blue signifies that this one hatched from the bluest egg.





Next, we have updates on the "Baby Babies" - And of course first to show off are our Araucanas - They've got true tufts coming in now! Not just little nubbins of feathers, but real tufts. They're becoming very beautiful birds, but still quite small.

Here's a white one with great tufts, though on the white background you may or may not see them very well. . .



Here's a blue pullet with magnificent tufts, also a very friendly one compared to others.



Here's a beautiful but clean-faced Silver Duckwing pullet.



And here's a unique "Blue Cuckoo" type clean faced Araucana:



Next, here's a Blue Wheaten Marans pullet:





A Blue Wheaten Marans cockerel:



And a Black Copper Marans cockerel:



And then there's our oldest mini-flock of Marans and Ameraucanas. . . Here's how our cockerel, Maple, is at 2 months old. He's finally starting to actually look like a Black Copper Marans.



Well, . . My camera's batteries need to be recharged. and tomorrow is a promised good and sunny day, so I'll show you around to our pregnant goat who's due in just a couple days, and the rest of the chookies!