So Mr. Postman hands me the box which was actually peeping! I went straight into the garage where our brooder was all set up and ready. Opened the box and there were 4 alert adorable Ladies.
I was actually really surprised that they were so active right away. In they went into the brooder. As I put each one in I carefully dipped their beaks in the water as instructed (so they know where the water is I guess). The two yellow chicks started eating and drinking right away. The little black ones were a little sleepier but found the food pretty quickly! In no time Luna (the yellow with the chipmunk stripe) was sprinting around the pen.
They sleep a lot! And fall asleep at the funniest times. One fell asleep while she was rooting around in the shavings. So she was asleep standing on her head - looked like a tripod. Another fell asleep mid leg stretch. And another fell asleep in the food. It's a good thing I knew to put marbles in the waterer otherwise one would have fallen asleep there and drown I'm sure!
I spent the day popping in and out of the garage checking on them, handling them some, and getting to know which was which. After I got them settled I came inside and compared them to the catalog pictures. They don't look at all like their adult versions. So here are the introductions
Rosey (the Golden Buff AKA Golden Sex Link)
Rosey is the bossy one! She's always pushing the others out of the way. And she's LOUD! When she's not happy she's quite the peeper! And she nosy! If one chick finds something, Rosey has to be right there. She is not going to be left out! Interestingly when I took each chick outside to play in the grass - she is not as confident out there. She's Meg's favorite!
JiJi (the Barred Rock)
JiJi is mellow! She sleeps a lot! And she looks a little older than the other chicks because you can actually see some little wing feathers. She isn't older - they were all hatched on Monday. But apparently she is a breed that matures much faster than the others. She will likely be our first egg layer! She likes to sit in your hand and is not particularly anxious to get off when you try to put her back in the brooder. Even out in the grass she was mellow. Curious but calmly exploring. Jiji is Emma's favorite!
Luna (the Buff Orpington)
Not that you can tell from this picture but Luna is a wild woman. She is always the first to start the chick races around the brooder and she actually gets a little air and bounces off the other chicks heads! Scott has already nicknamed named her "Luna the Lunatic." She's tough to catch but when you do she seem pretty happy to be cuddled. But like Rosey - out in the grass - she is a bit more intimidated. Luna just might be Scott's favorite.
Ebony (the Black Australorp)
Ebony is the shiest of the chicks but today I found a different side to her. She is the adventurous one. She is the one who loved being in the grass. She had her head stretched up and was checking everything out and was definitely exploring more. She also loves to climb. While I was sitting in the grass with her - I lifted her onto my leg and in no time flat she was on my shoulder! I also love that her coloring makes her look like an Emperor Penguin chick. At least for now. Soon she will be all black! I think she's my favorite so far. But yesterday it was Jiji so....
The girls (Emma and Meghan) not to be confused with The Ladies were at camp when the chicks arrived. But that was actually good. It allowed the chicks to settle in a little bit before being enthusiastically welcomed!
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So that's the flock. I was surprised that their personalities are so evident already. I wonder if they'll change. Now we're just hoping that we manage to help them all survive and that they are really all girls!!!
Awesome!!!
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