Chicks at Ten Days

I was supposed to put an update on the chicks at the one week mark. I, um, missed that. (I was out walking a chicken. On a leash. To visit a Kentucky Fried Chicken.) Since it's been ten days, here we go with the Ten Day Update...

There have been no casualties. All of the chicks are still with us. NorthernToddler has only been banished to his room on one occasion (for lashing out at a chick in a jealous fit)(note to us: we might want to reassure our son that we love him more than we love the chicks!)The birds are getting bigger by the day. (And look! - they almost match our sofa!)

Our "kids" play nicely...

It's been an eventful week - we've seen the tiny fuzzballs grow several inches and start to feather out. We've settled into our routine of providing food and fresh water - and learned to put the food in the feeder trays on the side of the brooder. (When we started out, we were using an old pie pan to hold their feed because they looked too small to reach into the side trays. That just made it easier for the chicks to spend their time taking dust baths or pooping in their food. That, in turn, wasted too much feed. Darn chickens!) We've had them out of the brooder for 'socialization', and because it's fun to watch them scoot around. We've had escapees: see the photo above for what happens when one bird flutters out of the brooder and the others can't quite figure out how to follow! (All lined up, watching in envy!) (Since then, several of the chicks have learned to flap their wings enough to leap over the side of the brooder when we don't have the top on!) We've had chicks poop on the floor - NorthernToddler says we should put diapers on them - and chicks kick feed all over the floor. One of us is counting the days until these 'nasty birds' moves out of the kitchen and into the coop. (The other of us is already getting weepy over the day that her 'babies' grow up....)

It's been quite a week of learning and fun and amazement. Keep visiting for more updates and photos (maybe I'll find time to post the photos of the roller coaster I built for the chicks!)