Chick Update - additional chicks are added

Charlotte and her chicks are doing fine.  Four chicks hatched out of seven on the 4th of July.  There are still three eggs under Charlotte; we don't think they will hatch and will remove them tomorrow.  They are not peeping.

There are 2 black cuckoo maran chicks, one red sex link (who's yellow), and one mixed chick named Big Bird.  The fathers are either Muffin, an Americauna, or Leggy, a white leghorn.  The red sex link chick came from a red sex link mother bird (Penny) and is a second generation red sex link, and of course is mixed with the rooster.  First generation red sex links chicks are red if female and yellow if male.  This doesn't always hold true for second generation.  We'll see - I love genetics and am curious if it is actually a rooster.

Big Bird and Mama Charlotte are pictured below.  Big Bird is very independent and doesn't always need to be under mama's wings.  The other birds like to be protected by her, but Big Bird is ok being by herself.

Today I picked up six additional chicks from the farmer's market:  5 Americauna's and 1 Rhode Island Red.  They were exhausted when I brought them home.  I gave them water and food, but they mostly wanted to sleep all afternoon.  I kept them separate until tonight, when we put them under Mama Charlotte's wings.  Charlotte will accept them and raise them as hers.

Now there's one new baby under Charlotte.  It looks like Big Bird.

Now there's two new babies.  Big Bird is looking at them.

Now there's 3 new babies.  Charlotte is checking them out as they snuggle under her wings.

 

All 6 are now under Charlotte's wings.

Big Bird decided she better find a place under her mama's wings.  Charlotte has spread her wings to accommodate the 10 chicks and the 3 eggs.  She's a good mama hen.

Goodnight Charlotte.  I'll check on her once more tonight, but she'll be fine with the new babies.  She has her work cut out for her.