The chicks are one week old today!
They are still living in the chicken coop with Mama Zoner. There's 5 of them - 3 striped, one all yellow, and one all black. They are starting to get their wing feathers. They are still very small, especially compared to the guinea keets.
Zoner is a very good mother. She feeds her babies all the time and protects them from any "threats". So far I have been the only "threat" (or so Zoner thinks) when I come in to photograph them and feed and water them. The babies aren't too sure if they should take food from me, they always turn to Zoner to wait for her to cluck that certain noise that means there's food ready for them. Here's Zoner feeding them.
Little spotted wings and puffy chick bottoms
I can't wait to see how they look when they grow up. I know soon they'll start getting feathers in and will get that "scruffy" young chicken look!
10 comments:
Well thanks to you I have learned something new today. I never realized that a mother hen actually fed her babies. I assumed the chicks did that on their own, just as they do when we receive them "day old." Okay, I have to ask did momma Bella feed the keets? As I use to tell my pre-schooler's, even teachers learn new things everyday!
Such pretty chicks, and growing so fast!!
Isn't it amazing how fast they grow?! They are so darned cute. Looking forward to watching them grow up.
So, with as old as your place is, are there ghosts there?
Julie - The hen makes a certain clucking noise that tells the babies to eat, and while she makes that noise she gives them food. When the babies were very small they didn't eat until she made the noise. Now, as they get bigger, they will start taking the initiative to eat without her telling them to eat. I noticed several of the chicks yesterday were starting to eat without Zoner telling them to. I wondered if those babies were going to be the roosters, trying to show their independence already. Babies raised without a mother hen miss all this bonding and training.
Yes, Bella fed the baby keets, too. The keets were much more advanced than the chicks at this age, they started eating on their own ealier and started disobeying Bella much earlier. I don't know if that's because Bella a much more passive hen or because keets just are much more unruly. I am truly surprised how well the keets are doing.
Knatolee - Yes, they do grow up fast. Before I know it they wont be chicks anymore!
Cindy - Yes, I think there are ghosts here, I guess. Several old timers have sworn to me that there are ghosts that live here and they have seen them. But I have never seen them. Sometime I'll have to show you the orbs I saw in photgraphs in a certain room supposingly where the ghosts hang out. But there have never been orbs in any other pics I took in other rooms...
~Lynn
You calling teenage chickens scruffy!! LOL! I wonder if that other mother hen who has the keets can sense they are "different" and that's why she doesn't mother them as well? Hmmm.. what do you think? - I still like that black chick the best, but look how his wing feathers are coming in lighter!- They keep you busy! Have fun. Today should be cooler!
Yup, doesn't take long for them to become little teenage chickens.
They are beautiful! Zoner is a good mama because they look so healthy. I agree, though, that we can't wait for them to get to that gawky, teenager look. Then the young roosters will start to show off and be funny.
I always love the sound when mom calls the babies in to eat!!!
other young hens often run forward too to get a feed!!!!
Looks like Zoner is a great mother and the chicks are going like crazy. I can sit for hours and just watch a hen take care of her little ones.
~~Matt~~
Barb - Bella is a very passive hen, not at all very high on the hen pecking order. I think that's why she lets her keets run wild, she's afraid to make a scene in front of the other hens. She will not protect the keets because the other hens always beat up on her and she does her best to avoid the other hens. Luckily the keets seem to be pretty able to take care of themselves in the midst of all the chickens.
I think the black chick is from Black Betty, our black pullet, and one of the brown roosters, either Muffin or Brownie. That would explain why the chick is a black and brown mix.
CeeCee - I know, and then I will want more little chicks!
Benita - I can't wait to see which are roosters and which are hens! Hope they all are hens!
John Gray - you are right - sometimes when Zoner calls her baby chicks to eat, the guinea keets start to go to her. But then they stop themselves, because Zoner would kick their butts if they got too close!
Matt - I can sit for hours & watch them, too!
~Lynn
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