11 days old and growing!

They are trying to fly and are soooo cute. I caught a couple of them sneezing and so I put them on antibiotics and will keep them on it for 7 days. The girls are growing like mad and are absolutely adorable.

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Each of them has their own personality and they are showing their differences daily. Maggie is still Mizz Bossy. More chicken news later.

One week old and growing!

The girls are one week old and a trip. Speckles likes perching on my shoulder and now runs at my hand and tries to hop up on me. when I do not pick her up, she tries to fly up to me.

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Here are the girlies...Speckles is trying to fly up to me and she likes perching on my shoulder... their slideshow :

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http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v219/CetaWin/Chickens/?action=view&current=33898a6e.pbw

The Girls

<---Sandy, the Ameraucana.
The girls are a trip. I put a small piece of lettuce in their brooder and they scattered. They were not sure what that thing was. Well, the two curious critters, the Australorps, went to check it out...then the game was on. One grabbed it and ran, all the other girls were chasing her. Then another one got it from her and ran...the pursuit continued until they decided they could all put it down and attack it LOL
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Lilly still has a bit of a pasty butt so I am checking her every couple of hours. She is doing great aside from that. She eats, drinks, sleeps and plays as well as the next. So, I clean her up when and if she needs it. I already have plans in my mind for a larger brooder for the girls. They will outgrow their tote befor they can go outside. If I make it right, I could use it for a rabbit or for Cheyenne to get another rat for her room. We will see.
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Today will be "clean the brooder" day so the girls will all get to come out of the brooder and play on the floor with Cheyenne while I clean the brooder and replace the bedding. We will see how that goes. hahahahaha There will be new pics of the girls.
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More chicken news to come...

Day 2 for the Girls

The girls are now 2 days old. They are a joy to have around for sure. they are comfy and quiet...most of the time. Everyone is doing great. Lilly has a pasty butt so she is getting her backside cleaned with warm water a couple of times per day but she is doing great too.
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All the girls are eating, drinking, sleeping and experiencing life around them very normally. The brooder is set up in our bathroom where it is draft free and comfy all day. Their heat lamp is above them, plenty of food, water and attention...so happy chicks.
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They are very particular though. Everyone says the brooder should be about 95 degrees for their first week. Not these girls...at 95 degrees inside the brooder, they move as far away from the heat lamp as possible. So, I raised the heat lamp and watched the thermometer...with it raised, the temp is holding at 90 degrees...the girls are very happy with that temperature so I am leaving it there. I figure they know what temperature they like best.
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They each have their very own personality and it is starting to show. Lilly is getting so much better about her little butt baths...I think she understands that I am helping her. Speckles is just a snuggler...every time my hand goes into the brooder she hops on it...she comes to the side of the tote to look at me when I come into the room. This morning, all 6 of them were at the side of the tote watching husband shave very intently. They seemed fascinated with what he was doing. All of them are good girls.
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More chicken news later...

For my nephew....Here is Lilly

Lilly

The Girls are Home!

The Girls Riding Home

The girls handled the car ride really well. They were in their box and chirping up a storm. I put the box in the floor in front of me and the heater was on so the box got real warm and toasty...the girls settled down right away and slept for the rest of the trip home. I was very surprised at how fast they can fall asleep...I guess I had forgotten after so many years of not having chickens around. Poor little Maggie was eating and fell asleep with her head in the feeder!

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More chicken news later...

Almost BABY time!

Almost time to pick up the babies. About 11 am tomorrow I should pick them up and by 1 pm, I should have the girls here, tucked inside their nice warm little home for the next 4 or 5 weeks. They are going to be spoiled, I can tell already. Much going on...pics of them tomorrow!

Have a great night!

I should have known better....

<---New Hampshire Red

I stopped by the co-op today to make sure the chicks would be here Wednesday and also to find out what time would be good to pick them up. Well, I was considering adding a Buff Orpington to the group of girls and found out that all the chicks that were coming in on Wednesday were already reserved. Chickens, Guineas, Ducks and Turkeys...all reserved. The gentleman checked to make sure that each of the breeds were in fact completely reserved and he then told me there was 1 lone New Hampshire Red that was not claimed. Soooooo, I reserved her. I mean all the babies going home but 1...I could not let that happen. The reds are supposed to be good large brown egg layers, docile and good in confinement. That was important to me for the winters when they will have to be n the coop so much of their time. So, on Wednesday I will bring home Molly, Holly, Lilly, Sandy, Speckles and now Maggie.

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Just a few more days and I will have pics of the new babies here...home, safe & warm in their new little brooder. I have their brooder ready with pine shavings, a feeder, a waterer and a nice heat lamp with a infrared bulb just waiting for them to come home. Oh I foresee spoiled chickens. hahahahahaha

More news and pics of the babies later...

An so it begins...

The chicken ownership has begun. The plans for the coop purchased, the food, waterer, feeder, container and chicks ordered. On March 19, 2008, we become a family with chickens!

I am going to modify the coop plan in the picture to remove some of the nest boxes. I only am getting five hens and do not need 8 nest boxes. I am also making one side open completely with two hinged doors, putting a solid floor in and making a separate portable run. With our winters here, I am going to add a light fixture and hinged panels on the front so it can be open as pictured in the warm winter but closed in the cold.

This should be an adventure but progress pics of chicks and coop will be forthcoming as time goes on. Meanwhile, I am getting everything ready to pick the girls up on 3/19...I will post a pic of the fuzzy cuties when they come home. :)