March 11, 2010

Gawky Bawky

Gawky? Looking, getting there.
Bawky? Nah, still peep, peeping like chicks.

In these photos the chicks are three and a half weeks old. Some are starting to look like little roosters, with larger combs and more upright tails.

I'm noticing some posturing behavior. I assume this is part of establishing the pecking order. Other than that they all seem to get along just fine.

All are feathering out nicely. The yellow chicks are no longer yellow, but white.

The largest ones are some of the Ameraucanas. (That's an Ameraucana aka Easter Egger on the left.) The smallest ones are the Barred Hollands, along with some of the Delawares. Smallest does not equate to timidest however.

They are no longer alarmed when I do things in their brooder area. I suspect they are now associating us with food and food is a good thing, right?

We had a couple of days in the 60sF and I noticed they were all settled down in a ring against their brooder wall. This indicates they are too warm (getting as far away from the heat lamp as possible), so I have been able to turn the brooder lamp off on warm days.

They are practicing flying, so one of these I expect to go back to the coop and discover at least one has managed to fly over the top of the brooder guard!

More photos below...

Ameraucana on left, Barred Holland on right.

Delaware chick in front, Ameraucana in back.

Ameraucana showing beautiful coloring.

Welsummer

S'up?

Gawky Bawky photos and text copyright 11 March 2010
by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

22 comments:

Theresa said...

Cute, still but you can see the gawky stage coming on strong. Fun pictures.

Renee Nefe said...

DD got to go meet my friend's chicks the other day. She enjoyed it a lot. They also had older chickens for her to visit with.
While she thought that they were cute I don't think that she's going to go wanting any...which is good as we're not allowed to have them. But it would be funny if we could get a rooster with all the idiot dog owners around us who let their dogs bark at all hours. sigh!

Nina said...

pretty babes... Before you know it, they'll be laying or in the freezer! We'll be getting some chooks later in the spring. Meaties for the freezer and a few layers just for fun. Since my boys will work for pie around here, I wonder how many pies it will take to get the barn cleared out so I can start putting in the coop area and run?

Benita said...

Gawky is right! Teenaged chickens. So, when are they going into the coup? I forget, how many do you have?

Kathy said...

Hi Auntie Leigh...

Mom sez she hasn't been around 'caus of an inner ear 'fection. Mooch and I think that's funny 'caus we thought she only had two ears like we do.
Mooch and I luv the birdie pictures. We watch Mom's big birdies out the window but would really like to play wif them up close. We like chicken.

Leigh said...

Theresa, I love taking pictures. I'm amazed at how quickly they grow up!

Renee, I'm glad Darly enjoyed her chicken visit. It is too bad you can't have that rooster. All night barking dogs are on the top of my pet peeve list!

Nina, now you've got me thinking about chicken pie! We may have to consider a lot of meat breed chickens some time in the future. Would love to raise enough to provide all our own chicken for the freezer. As it is, we'll probably only end up with 8 to 10 to butcher. The rest will be pullets for eggs.

Benita, we've got 19. Actually the brooder is in the coop, so it's just a matter of expanding the guard to give them more room. Soon they'll have the entire coop to roam and this summer .... the chicken yard!

L'il Rascal, tell your Mom I hope she feels better soon! Uncle Rascal loves chicken too. Raw, preferably. The live birds he's not to interested in.

charlotte said...

It's funny to see how different they start to look. But they're stil very cute!

Robin said...

It always amazes me how they can be so cute and fluffy for one day and then the feathers start coming in. And the scuffy look starts. It will be fun to see their final feathered look when they get grown up.

Callie Brady said...

The little peeps grow so fast. They do start to look a bit funny when the feathers start to come in.

Leigh said...

Charlotte, glad to know someone else thinks they're cute. :) Not like when they were teeny peeps, but cute in their own little chicken way.

Robin, they do look scruffy at this stage, don't they. I never would have realized how much so if I hadn't had chickens of my own.

Cally, I read somewhere that they feather out more quickly in cooler weather. That certainly seems to be the case.

Callie Brady said...

Note: Reply...
I wish I had a wood cook stove too!
I cook on our wood stove that we use for heating the house. It has a two step flat top. Not all that much room, but I can get three pans on the bottom level.

Dorothy said...

I enjoy seeing the little chicken pictures. Their feathers are starting to look pretty, it must be great fun watching them day by day.

Leigh said...

Callie, when you blogged "wood stove" I automatically added the "cook" in my mind, LOL.

I cook some on our wood stove, too, but have never been so brave as to try bread or biscuits. I used to have a huge dutch oven that would have been perfect for it, but shortsightedly gave it away about three years ago. I've kicked myself ever since for that.

Those two step flat top wood stoves are really great to cook on. Those tops give you a little bit of temperature control, very helpful. Do you do a lot of cooking on it?

Dorothy, it's amazing. It seems as though they get bigger in between the times I check on them during the day. Now I'm wondering how to tell the pullets from the cockerels. I think I have figured out a few, but most of them all still look the same to me.

Life Looms Large said...

They're growing up so fast!! Send some of that 60 degree weather our way, okay??

Sue

Julie said...

They get so big so fast. They are really starting to look more like chickens.

bspinner said...

They sure did into their "gawky" stage quick. It's so much fun to see pictures of them.

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Your fuzzy little tennis balls are growin'. It has always amazed me how fast the little boogers grow. The gawky stage was never my favorite in the life and time of a chick.

God bless and have a marvelous weekend!!!

Sharon said...

This is when I like them best. They're cute and silly and no bully rooster is threatening yet. The only animals that attacked me when I was growing up were roosters and geese. Weird, huh.

chook said...

peeps are so much fun. and they grow really fast!

Anonymous said...

I love this akward stage! They are so cute and going to be beautiful birds! Are they stretching their wings and legs out? I loved watching them do that!!!

Leigh said...

Sue, I'd be glad to share our weather with your! Of course, that comes with a deluge of rain too.

Julie, don't they? L'il Mini-chickens, *lol

Barb, thanks. We've really enjoyed watching them grow.

Nezzy, they aren't as cute but they are pretty funny. Awkward, cautious, and curious all rolled up into one. :)

Sharon, I admit I'm not looking forward to that part! I've been reading about selecting "good" rooster on the chicken forums though, so hopefully we'll end up with one who does his job without trying to protect his flock from the hands that feed them!

Chook, they are, aren't they!

WFR, I love it when they stretch their legs and wings. It really shows off they beautiful feathers. I can't wait to see how they look as adults.

Razzberry Corner said...

It is fun to see how the little peepers grow up into big chickens, and how much they change as they grow. This stage is cute, even tho they are rough looking. I'm sure they know you provide the food, so they think of you as the moma hen. Keep sending pics out - we love them!