Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Have you got yogurt?

I tried feeding my hens yogurt - and they loved it! They made a huge mess, though. Globs of yogurt would get stuck to their beaks and they would fling them on to other hens. Then run after their glob, of course. Abby eventually had to try the yogurt too... and finish it. Everyone now has white smudges on their feathers, and won't let me clean them off. So yucky white crusties it is.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Mean Girls

These girls are so adorable in their awkwardness! Its hilarious! They are getting big - they are 1 month old today! Growing up appears to be causing some social issues too...

It will be a sad day when Heidi's unique facial pattern finally is replaced by her adult feathers. I just love it! But even now her chick fuzz is fighting a losing battle against maturity...


Heidi is such a sweet girl! She cuddles and likes to be near me even when given the choice of playing outside in the bushes. 


 I hope that she grows up to lay a beautiful blue egg. At least I'm sure she will be laying some sort of egg. The other girls have suspicious tails, combs, and fighting tendencies. Maybe I'm just paranoid after Betsy and Edith.


 Gwen! Her pearly whiteness is so striking. So striking that I worry about letting her out of my sight for a moment lest a hawk spot her lounging on the lawn.


 Gwen is a good chicken. She likes me, likes bugs, likes grass, loves to eat, and doesn't like shadows or alarming noises (like coughs). She will make a fine hen someday (please be a hen!).


Cora's speckles are beginning to come in! Do you see the speckliness on her side before her wing starts! I'm excited!


 Cora will most likely be the leader of the flock. I think she'll make a good one too. I'm just concerned that her noticeable comb is foreshadowing her move to join Edith and Betsy on the farm...


 Mmm... See those raised neck feathers? Somebody is looking for a challenge - and she gets it! Gwen and Heidi are willing to stand up for their spot in the pecking order, which causes more drama than I'd like. I hope this phase is a quick one.


These little girls play mean! They are in an intense period of working out the pecking order right now - but nobody seems willing to be at the bottom! If I had to guess, it will end up #1. Cora, #2. Gwen, #3. Heidi. Buts that's just a guess. Heidi knows how to stand up for herself though! (sorry the picture is terrible, but it gives an idea of what goes on).


Friday, September 7, 2012

They Grow Up So Quickly!

Time flies when you are having fun! I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted. The babies have grown quite a bit and are feathering out like crazy! I think they have hit the beginning of their awkward teen faze. They are all such sweethearts right now!

Gwen has grown quite the tail - let's hope it is not a rooster tail!


Gwen's comb is also coming in quickly, but I'm not worried about that. Leghorns are notorious for their huge combs and wattles.


Gwen likes to cuddle and be petted and hang with her peeps!


Cora is the most adventurous of the lot - she often strays further than I would like. But she always comes back soon enough.


 Cora's feather pattern is fun right now, but I can't wait for her speckled splotches to come in! These are just baby feathers which don't necessarily match those of her adult plumage.


Cora is less interested in cuddling, but she isn't afraid of me. She accepts my picking her up, but enjoys perching on my hands to view the world from my height.


Heidi is adorable and photogenic, making her an instant favorite among visitors. She loves to cuddle and will fall right asleep in your hands! Heidi enjoys all the attention that her good looks and happy nature get her to the point that she hops on your lap in jealousy if you are holding Cora or Gwen!


 Heidi is growing in creamy feathers with a little brown - an exciting surprise! This means she will be easily identifiable as Heidi not June. Her the brown feathers you see are baby feathers and will fall out soon enough, replaced by more of her delightfully different cream feathers!


How can you not love this face?


 I decided to put some photos of June at Day 21 (the babies here are only on Day 20) to compare coloring. If you recall June was a leader in feathering, so she is quite a bit more feathered than dear little Heidi. It still gives good example of color though.


The striped brown feathers are June's baby feathers which grow in at first and then molt out later. These are very similar to Heidi's, albeit a bit lighter. June's buff colored feathers are an pretty accurate representation of what she looks like today, which gives me hope that Heidi will be cream and brown!