Spring Chicklettes
We just got a batch of ten baby chicks! Two days old and they are already having a blast climbing and jumping off a little rock and sticks. This batch are all females, and are a random variety of "exotic" chickens. When their real feathers grow in it'll be fun to figure out what breeds we got!
They are just in an XL dog crate with foil insulation around the bottom edge, and a red heat lamp hanging from the top of the crate. I don't know if the foil actually helps retain any heat, but it does keep the chicks from escaping. It's a high security henitentiary.
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Thar's a cheep joke.
I have to admit, I only posted because I was cracking myself up over that yolk.
Last batch of all females we raised had a silkie rooster hiding in the bunch.
Did you keep him? I had 4/6 of a straight run be roosters a couple years ago, but they killed one of my hens and had to be culled.
We kept him for a few years. Real noisy but wasn’t too aggressive.
I want to cuddle them in my beard.
Our little hen used to do that :)
That sounds like it would tickle!
It does, in the best way :)
I had no idea that any chicken could be so loving. Even now that she's at adult size and a little bossy, she stays with one of us every second she can (usually me) and when evening sets in, she starts squawking at me until I get in the recliner and lean back so she can get in the beard and doze off. Which is less comfy than it used to be, but she's worth it lol.
Obviously, this is not a working bird lol. Mind you, she lays every other day, and they're excellent eggs, but she's a pampered pet for sure.
So adorable. Crazy how smart they are after 2 days!
How long can they last without the heater on?
The heater is necessary until they're properly feathered, they need to stay around 95°F right now. That will be adjusted down around 5° a week until they are comfortable at room temperature. I don't actually know how long they would last without it, but it's obvious when they are miserable and cold. They all snuggle up together in a little clump and when they first came home they were very lethargic until they warmed up. It was about a 4 hour journey for them from the hatchery to home without heat.