The chicks are now five weeks old, and weather permitting, we expect they’ll be moving outside into the coop soon.
Hello! Did you hear? We're FIVE weeks old!
Our fine feathered friends finally forayed into the fresh spring air this past weekend! The weather was beautiful on Sunday afternoon, and warm enough that we felt it was alright for them spend a couple of hours discovering the wonders of the great outdoors! As promised, we did shoot a little video!
We had to trim a bit of our not-a-lawn, our overgrown weed patch (former lawn courtesy of the previous owners) that is waiting to be removed. If we hadn’t trimmed it, you wouldn’t be able to see the chicks…
I apologise for a little blurriness, especially in regards to one of the Black Australorps, but I was inside the short little chick-tractor with the chicks, and it’s only two feet high. It made it a little challenging to focus the camera. Needless to say, that in addition to fuzzy images, I ended the afternoon with a bit of a crick in my neck, but it was well worth it. It was so fun to see them zipping around, being little mini-chickens. At first they were a bit skeptical about my presence, but it didn’t take long for them to figure out that I made a rather handy perch.
Now, you might notice in the video that our ‘mystery chick’ is quite the ham, appearing in most of the shots. Compared to the other chicks, even though mystery chick is the same age as the rest of the flock, it’s obvious that he or she still has significantly more fuzz than feathers.
"WAIT! I'm not dressed!" (note the white and black feathers coming in on the sides of the chest)
Mystery chick ‘Frodo’ since the video was taken is FINALLY growing something that resembles feathers. Some of the chest feathers appear to be white centrally with black edging. That might lean us back toward Silver-laced Cochin, versus Dark Brahma, but we’ll reserve final judgement for a few more weeks until a more definite feather pattern emerges.
The rest of ‘the girls’ are all but fully feathered now, quite remarkable for only being 5 weeks old. I’m always amazed at how quickly young birds develop.
Buff Orpington the day after she arrived at the farm
Buff Orpington at three weeks of age
At five weeks, most of the feathers are in, and they look a little less awkward
This stage is what I like to refer to as their ‘Einstein period’…well dressed, for the most part, except for that scruff on the top of their heads.
Albert Einstein (Public Domain Image)
Do you see a slight resemblance?
Unfortunately, for most of this week the weather has been a bit cold and dreary, so the chicks have yet to venture out for a second turn around the garden. Even at this stage the chicks can still be vulnerable to chill, and are being kept at around 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit in the brooder box. This weekend should be warmer though, so we can put them outside again. We do need to be cautious though, as was proven this morning in my office, these birds can now fly very well!
In other chicken news, our older hens helped us with a little weeding this week, well, briefly. They weeded just a large enough patch of the garden to find some nice loose soil to take a dust bath. Laying down on the job again…it’s so difficult finding good help these days.
This weekend we need to finish the ‘retirement coop’ for these hens that will go out in the gardens…hopefully we’ll have some progress to show on that front in time for our next Fowl Friday post!
Aw, Frodo is turning out to be full of personality. I love it! As for the Einstein look, I saw it more in the video than in the photo — maybe the head-wildness needs to be stirred by a breeze to get the full effect?
I thought the video was darling, by the way.
And why do animals take dust baths? Our black cat loves them! (Time to go look that up, I guess.)
.-= Meredith´s last blog ..one reason to grow your own =-.
Actually, I think just in the few days since I shot the video, they’ve continued to lose some of the fluff on their heads, so it’s not quite as obvious.
Birds are thought to dust bathe for a number of reasons, mostly related to feather maintenance. It helps discourage feather parasites, and the dust soaks up any excess oils on the feathers. I’ve noticed our hens love to find a damp, cool patch of dirt, on a warm day, and fling the damp dirt all over themselves, no doubt in an effort to keep cool.
Oh Clare I was waiting for these videos – great to see the wee chicks getting out unto the grass and fresh air. And as for your mystery chick he’s so much taller than the rest too – you could’nt miss him in the video. The Einstein look is cool and as for a retirement coop that sounds interesting. I must tell my friend that she needs one of those for her orphingtons. Yours look skinnier than hers but you dont’ feed yours with marshmallows.
The retirement coop is necessary so we can free up our larger coop for the chicks. That coop will need to be expanded to accommodate the extra chicks though. As we only have four larger hens left, we thought it would be easier to build them something slightly smaller. We’ll put the new ‘retirement’ coop in the orchard area, which at least is fenced, so they’ll be able to be out more while I’m up there gardening during the day. Now we just have to get the new coop finished!
I enjoyed the video and post! ‘Mystery Chick’ does like to be front and center. Also, Einstein is a great comparison….:)
.-= Amy/GoAway, I’m Gardening!´s last blog ..Research First, Plant Later =-.
Those gals are beautiful…loved the update. It made my week…!
Hi there, boy this made me smile! That top photograph should be sold to Hallmark with the caption “Bad hair day?!” They are all so cute and they look so healthy and happy pecking about in their chicken run.
Thanks for enduring a crick neck to film your chicks, they are too cute.
Michaela
Your opening shot is priceless! Still chuckling, happy to know all is well. Delightful post 🙂
.-= joey´s last blog ..FAREWELL SWEET APRIL ~ ‘AS THE GARDEN GROWS’ =-.
Would you believe that my daughter, as she set off for camp this weekend, said ‘But I’m going to miss Fowl Friday!’ 😀 I promised it would still be here when she returned! The video was wonderful and Frodo is just beautiful!
.-= Heidi (GippyGardener)´s last blog ..The Compost Ate My Jeans! =-.
Awww…I’m sorry she missed it, but it will still be here when she gets back. I hope it’s worth waiting for! 😀
Great post! Thank God It’s Fowl Friday, I say.
Baby chicks are so cute, even when they are past the fluffy stage. There is no fowl in my neck of the woods, but I do get to watch the flock of wild turkeys taking dust baths quite often. It’s pretty much the same as your hens.
.-= Jill-O´s last blog ..Making Gypsy Furniture =-.
Both videos were fun~Frodo is going to be a big boy or girl! Thanks for explaining the retirement coop~gail
.-= gail´s last blog ..Some Colors Are More Perfect Then Others =-.
They are changing quickly. I can imagine being in a 2 foot high chicken tractor would be a little uncomfortable, but they seemed to like having you in there with them.
How nice to be building a retirement chicken coop. Much nicer than what I’ve heard a lot of people do when their hens stop laying.
.-= Catherine´s last blog ..Fertilizer Friday – April 30 =-.
If the chicken continue to resemble Einstein, I hope it limits itself to the hairlook and with mind to serve mankind. ~bangchik
.-= bangchik´s last blog ..Collecting our own tomato seeds =-.
Einstein period LOL!!!
.-= Kyna´s last blog ..I’m Bringin’ Sexy Back =-.
Ahh. They grow up so fast!I am glad you posted an older chicken video. It baffles my mind the transformation from chick to hen. Congratulations on the healthy flock!
love the pics and the einstein moments…these are funny and i love your observations, thanks for sharing
I love all the photos, but the first one is really an attention grabber. Those eyes – that beak! And the musical accompaniment was nice on the first video. There’s nothing like watching your chickens frolic from afar!
.-= villager´s last blog ..Baking Pita Bread =-.
Soon I will join you in the chick posts… two months I’m getting hot little chicks of my own!
How fun! I can’t wait to see them, they really are so much fun to have around. 😀
Oh gosh, they are so cute! and that second photo is hilarious.
.-= Diana´s last blog ..Chinese Tree Peony, Paeonia suffruticosa =-.
That first photo made me laugh out loud…chickens are so funny! Great post, have fun outside little ones! KIm
.-= the inadvertent farmer´s last blog ..Garden Update the new Tomato Patch =-.
The chicks are far too cute, I wouldn’t ever want them to grow up!!!
I hope the weather perks up for you and your hens/chicks 🙂
I loved the Einstein comparison! I am amazed at how quickly your little chicks are turning into chickens. They remind me of gangly teenagers!
.-= debsgarden´s last blog ..Sounds I Hear in the Lady Garden =-.
You know….this kind of reminds me of the awkward stage that teenagers go through 😉
.-= Noelle / azplantlady´s last blog ..Pretty In Pink…..With A Hidden Secret =-.
Fascinating and beautiful – and mysterious! I think I would have to call by the name ‘Fairy Lantern’. What a delightful flower!
.-= The Garden Ms. S´s last blog ..My Little Side Project =-.