~ Some thoughts about Living History, especially 18th Century Middleground, pets, fiber arts especially spinning and knitting, and other activities I enjoy.
This has been a hard year for the chickens. After some early losses that we believe are due to a huge red tailed hawk that lives in the area, there were many more losses that we believe were due to a fox. It was seen while killing one of the hens near our neighbors home, and has since been removed. Since then there have been no further losses. We went from 7 hens to 5, and from 7 youngsters to 1.
Purple is the only youngster left from the 7 chicks we got 20 weeks ago today. After her last sister was killed she stayed by our house, in the trees, bushes and on our deck, which is protected from above by a tree. The hens have been slowly accepting Purple, and there are a couple of them that she has been hanging out with and they even eat together some. She is now a bit bigger than the hens, as she is Black Sex Link which get about a pound or so heavier than the ISA Browns.
I have been spending some time with her every day, and she seems to enjoy the company. As she is slowly integrating into the flock she is spending less time in the trees, and more time with the hens.
Aug 1, 2023 – Purple having a snack in the morning.
It is almost impossible to get a photo that properly shows how lovely her black feathers are. They have a beautiful purple/green sheen to them.
Aug 15, 2023 – Hanging out with the girls. Finally she isn’t being picked on by the older hens.
Aug 16, 2023 – Purple and White were hanging out this morning. They even ate together without problems.
Aug 16, 2023 – Purple’s comb and wattles are growing nicely and a pretty red. She could start laying any day.
And today when I went to check for eggs I got a great surprise!
Aug 16, 2023 – Purple’s first egg! First eggs are usually smaller, and this one is both smaller and narrower. However, she is clearly getting plenty of calcium, and the shell is really good.
We are nearly out of the flock feed that they have all been getting, and we have some layer feed which will be mixed in the next time. I keep crushed oyster shells in a couple of places, and also give them crushed egg shells. The hens have free access to as much as they want. I have noticed Purple taking some, which the youngsters don’t do until they are ready to lay. And today was the day! She is now a laying hen.
The girls are 13 weeks old today. They continue to mature, slowly gaining weight and some size. Their eye color is changing from dark of their babyhood lightening to a more amber color.
24 June, 2023 – Green (band) perching next to me on the glider seat back. I have been feeding them the remaining chick feed over near the coop, usually sitting on this glider seat. For a while they were coming over to my porch and I would feed them there, if the hens weren’t around, but they haven’t for a while.
Unfortunately we lost one of the youngsters, young Red, we believe to a hawk, as there were no feathers found anywhere, and the remaining 6 stayed under shelter or cover for over 2 days. They have come out a little since, but mostly remain under the trees and in any longer grass or bushes they find. The adult hens must not have been near them when it happened, as they have been foraging out in the fields near their coop. In the fall when they are hunted by hawks the adult hens also stay under cover.
They are all, older and youngsters, quite friendly with us. The youngsters though are more willing to get up on us.
15 June, 2023 – Blue is quite willing to hop up on my leg or arm. As you can see, her comb and wattles are increasing in size. She is one of the ones farthest along in maturing, and is likely to be one of the earliest to start laying eggs. Some of the others don’t have as much rosy color or size in either comb or wattles.
15 June 2023 – Blue and friends waiting for the hens to finish at the food tub. Blue is the top of the youngster flock hierarchy.
15 June, 2023 – This is White (band), AKA Young White, or White Star. She is the most forward of all the chickens, and of the youngsters has the most brown. She also has some white on her head in little spots. Young Yellow also has some white spots on her head. The rest don’t have that. Her comb is growing, but is not as rosy as that of Blue.
Young White has been known to literally jump up onto our arms, or if I’m bent over stretching my back and hamstrings, she has jumped up onto my back! A couple of times she has jumped up on my husbands arm, his hand in his pants pocket, so she was slotted right in between his arm and his body. That was a surprise the first time it happened. Sometimes if I hold my arm out she will jump up onto it, and if she is up there, sometimes one of the other youngsters, especially Green or Young Yellow, will as well.
The 2 flocks, adult hens and youngsters, are not integrated, but they are starting to interweave more and more. Based on our experience last year the young and adult flocks won’t fully integrate until everyone is laying and they are all about the same size.
Last year one of the adult hens really seemed to like spending time with the youngsters. Unfortunately she was one of the hens lost to predation last fall. The 7 hens we have now are spending more time together and keeping an eye on the youngsters much of the time, but haven’t shown an interest in hanging out with them. They will come over for food whenever I’m trying to feed chick feed to the youngsters. Sometimes they finish and leave so the youngsters can get a turn getting food, sometimes they just stay too close so I have to try another time.
15 June, 2023 – Adult hens always get first access to food, but the youngsters no longer simply scatter and run away when the hens are nearby. They will move a few feet away to give them respect.
15 June, 2023 – Slowly the adult and young flocks are starting to intermingle.
The youngsters bodies are not full grown yet, but they are similar in height to the adults. Their legs and feet are about the same size as those of the adults. Their bodies will deepen and they will slowly increase in size and weight as they mature. The combs are slowly increasing in size, and getting rosy, as are their wattles. Their faces are also slowly getting rosy.
It is possible that some of the youngsters may be mature enough to start laying eggs in another 3 weeks, at 16 weeks, but it will likely be longer. When their combs and wattles are grown and become glossy bright red they will be mature enough to lay.
15 June, 2023 – Sometimes I can get chick feed into the youngsters when the hens are around, but that is getting to be more and more rare, as the hens really want to get whatever anyone else is getting.
I’ve got less than a pint of chick feed left, so another few days it will be gone, especially if I can get it to them when the adult hens are off doing hen things someplace else on the property.
Speaking of which, I should head out and see if they are hungry now! Enjoy your day!
The youngsters are continuing to grow fast. They have a lot of developing before they are ready to start laying eggs, but they are doing very well. They love foraging in bushes, under the trees. They mostly flock together, so usually if you see one the others aren’t far away.
9.5 weeks, foraging under the cedar tree.
9.5 weeks hunting for bugs and worms in the grass.
We got them rebanded a couple of days ago, so the previous bands wouldn’t get to tight as they grow. Their legs are nearly full size now so they should be good for a long time now. The next time we change the bands will probably be due to color fading.
9.5 weeks – It is very difficult to get good photos of them. They move a lot, mostly fast. The catalpa trees are blooming, so the ground near them has lots of the fallen blossoms.
9.5 weeks They like to stay in the weeds and brush.
9.5 weeks – After letting them out of the coop in the morning they followed me back to the house. And a bit later followed me back when I went to check for eggs. While they were there they filled up on water.
As you can see from the above photo their combs are beginning to have bit of rosy blush. Their wattles are beginning to grow as well, and are also rosy.
9.5 weeks – The hens are keeping an eye out on the youngsters most of the time now. I have been trying to feed the youngsters the last of their chick feed, and the hens don’t want the youngsters to get anything they don’t also get. But chick feed isn’t good for the hens, so it’s become more of a challenge.
I keep a couple of small tubs of flock feed for everyone to eat. I have a small container of chick feed for when the hens aren’t around. That is happening less and less as time goes on. As you can see, these youngsters are quickly getting big. According to the information we have about both hybrids the Black Sex Links will end up about a pound heavier than the ISA Browns.
This hen, Red (band color) is checking me out to see if I have any special treats!
Shy Girl Kitty is rubbing against me. She has become quite friendly with us, although she is very easy to startle. The hen, I believe this is Red (band color), is curious what she is doing.
Purring! Red seems a bit confused.
It’s like each is asking the other ‘What are you doing?’
The changes in the youngsters will of course continue, but as they reach adult size it will be more about them maturing. The combs and wattles will grow, then when they are ready to start laying the color will change from rosy pink to glossy bright red.
It is time to go to the coop so they can be safely locked up for the night. Until next time!
It is difficult to get photos that show how much the youngsters have grown. They are about a third the size of the adult hens now and growing fast. Note that the hens are ISA Browns, which are medium size chickens, averaging 4 to 5 lbs/1.8 to 2.2 kg. Black Sex Link average 6 to 7 lbs/2.7 to 3.1 kg. That’s what the hatchery literature says anyway. I’ve never bothered to actually weigh any of them!
Two weeks ago today the youngsters were put into the coop to be outside chickens. They basically stayed in and around the coop, mostly by themselves, and the adult hens mostly ignored them, other than making sure that the youngsters knew that the adults are higher status. The 2 flocks, adults and youngsters, are starting to be closer together, and sometimes a hen or so will stay near the youngsters. The youngsters are wandering farther from the coop and the adults want to make sure the youngsters don’t get anything special that they don’t also get! One of the original adult hens, now three years old with the black band, is making sure that everyone else in the overall flock knows she is highest status. She is making sure all the other hens as well as the youngsters know she is Boss Chicken.
I go over every day at least once to feed the remaining chick feed to the youngsters. I always feed the adults something first, usually flock feed, in the usual area near my house, then I go to the coop and if there are no hens around I’ll feed chick feed to the youngsters. I want to use up the chick feed as soon as I can. They can use the extra protein until they are 16 or so weeks old. With luck I’ll get it all into them well before then.
The feeding is a bit of an adventure for a while, as the flocks integrate and the youngsters mature. The hens were on layer feed and had been since last years babies started laying eggs. As babies they need chick/grower feed, of course. When we started to put the youngsters into the coop for a while each day we changed over the feed in the coop from layer feed to flock feed. The adult hens are out foraging all day every day. They have free access to the food in the coop, as well as from a hanging feeder underneath the coop. But they only rarely go back to the coop, preferring to hunt for bugs, worms, eat grass, clover, everything else they find. I’ll feed them when they come over to my place, but that isn’t all that much, overall.
I keep egg shells and crushed oyster shells out for the hens so they can get as much calcium as they need for their eggs. The youngsters tried a few pieces the first day, but haven’t shown any interest since. They won’t until they start laying in a few months. When all the youngsters are laying we will switch them all over to layer feed.
May 13, 2023 – The youngsters getting their treat of chick/grower feed. Someone always tries to stand on the edge of the container and spill everything. Usually I end up holding the container up off the ground so they can’t stand on it.
May 13, 2023 – Purple on the left has some iridescence to her feathers. A couple of the others have a little bit, but Purple has the most.
May 13, 2023 – This photo of Blue shows that she is starting to grow her wattles, and getting a bit of pink at the base of her comb. Their combs are slowly increasing in size.
May 13, 2023 – The hens get their own attention and small container of the flock feed. Somehow it seems to be better when I feed them like this than when they are eating it themselves out of the regular feeders.
May 16, 2023 – The youngsters have been roaming farther from the coop. They are now coming over to our yard, spending lots of time in the pine trees and around our wood pile.
May 16, 2023 – The pine trees and wood pile give them lots of cover, as well as lots of places to look for bugs.
May 21, 2023 – Youngsters enjoying being on the lower branches of the pine trees by the wood pile.
May 21, 2023
May 21, 2023
May 21, 2023 – Roosting in the pine tree.
May 21, 2023 – The hens are now staying closer to the youngsters, just in case something interesting happens near, with or around the youngsters. At this moment the youngsters are up in the pine tree branches as shown in the previous photos.
Such fun to watch the youngsters growing up. It is going to be interesting to see how the flock dynamics change as the youngsters mature.
With the warmer weather and the chicklets being well fledged we decided that last night was The Night and after the hens were in the coop for the night we brought over the youngsters and put them into the coop. We waited for a few minutes, and gave small corrections to the 2 times that an adult hen picked on the youngsters. The hens were up in the perches, but while we were there only White Star (the chicklet with a white band) jumped up to get onto the perches. The hen she came up closest too wasn’t impressed, and she pecked at the youngster. Thus a bit of correction to tell her not to bother the baby. We know it will happen, it’s a chicken thing, but keeping it to a minimum at least when we are around is the goal. It was too dark to get photos, but I did get some this morning, as well as a few the past few days.
Day 37 – May 4, 2023.
Day 37 – May 4, 2023. Hens keeping the chicklets company. ISA Brown Red is in the foreground, next to Yellow.
Day 37 – May 4, 2023. The hens and youngsters just doing their chicken things. Eating grass, clover and bugs.
The youngsters have been out in the cage daily, and in the coop for a while each day as well. Until yesterday, Sunday, May 7, 2023. It has been raining heavily and the ground is absolutely sloppy with water, so we haven’t wanted to walk over to the coop more than necessary. And since we decided to just put them into the cage during the day, with food and water, then put them into the coop at night.
This morning the hens continue to not be impressed by these small chickens, and are quite happy to peck at them to show that they are below them in the flock hierarchy. The hens don’t seem to be very concerned about the youngsters being there, but first thing this morning all the youngsters had gotten well out of the hens way up into one of the nesting boxes.
Day 41 – May 8, 2023. All 7 youngsters keeping away from the hens.
Day 41 – May 8, 2023. Youngsters heading for the food trough as the hens start to nest and wander for the day.
I stayed near the coop for a while after it was opened up. The youngsters in the nesting box seemed to be causing some consternation with at least one of the hens, as some of them seem to prefer that box to lay their eggs. So I decided that rather than having them chased out by the hens I’d let them out loose for the first time. At that point they were all in the nesting box, so I simply opened the lid we use to take the eggs out and lifted one youngster at a time and put her on the ground.
This is the first time they have been loose to roam at will. All the other times they have been out on the ground they were in the pen or the cage. And previously when they were in the coop they were locked inside.
Day 41 – May 8, 2023. On the ground by the coop.
Day 41 – May 8, 2023. I showed them where the water and food were outside the coop. They already know about the food and water inside it.
Day 41 – May 8, 2023. Running around finding worms!
The youngsters are really funny when they find a worm or bug. They will run around like crazy, with their prize in their beak. As soon as the others see one running like that they chase her! It would seem more sensible to simply eat it on the spot rather than wind everyone else up trying to get the treat, but that’s not happening so much yet.
I have gone back over to check on them several times and they are pretty much just staying under the coop. The hens have laid their eggs and gone on about their business. Thus far the youngsters haven’t shown any interest in going back inside the coop. That’s fine, of course. It’s good for them to forage, and they have free access to feed and water. The coop will sure be easier to keep clean if they aren’t huddling inside it all day.
Next adventure is to see how everyone does at night when it’s time to go into the coop for the night!
The babies aren’t babies anymore! We call youngsters chicklets at this stage. They are too big to be little chicks, but still too small and young to be adults. I don’t consider them hens until they start to lay eggs.
When the temperatures outside are above 50, preferably higher, I have been continuing to take them outside. We have a small pen made with flexible net fencing, and a very old dog crate. And when they got to be one month old I started to take them over to the coop to get used to being in there.
Day 28, April 25, 2023, in the pen.
Day 28, April 25, 2023
The pen is really fun for them, and they enjoy scratching around, eating grass or whatever. When they hear a fly or whatever buzzing around they all alert to it and try to find and catch it.
Day 29, One Month, April 26, 2023
Day 29, One Month, April 26, 2023
I didn’t get photos the first day I put them in the coop, but I did the second day. Last year I hadn’t known there was a second ramp for inside the coop, as the adult hens don’t need it to get onto the perches. This year I put the chicklets straight up onto the perches, not in the sand on the floor. Last year they spent a lot of time in the nesting boxes even after they knew about the perches, which of course resulted in the nest boxes needing to be cleaned out daily for quite a while.
The feed trough inside the coop now has flock feed in it instead of layer feed, so we don’t need to cover it up. Layer feed isn’t safe for chicks, too much calcium. Last year it took us a while to get all that sorted out, having never done it before. Much smoother this year when we know better what we’re doing!
Day 30, April 27, 2023. In the coop!
Day 30, April 27, 2023.
Day 30, April 27, 2023. Resting on the perch.
Day 30, April 27, 2023.
Most of the past week has been wet and cold. Not bad for spring, but too cold for us to want to risk chicklets outside. They have done just fine outside for a while when it’s in the 12 C/50’s F or higher, but the last thing we want is for them to get chilled and sick, so we kept them inside in their tub.
Day 31, April 27, 2023.
When they were a month old and out in the coop for the first time we switched them from the tub they had been in into the above 100 gallon trough. They don’t need the heat plate anymore, and they enjoy the perches. The little perch that they had before is being used by the chicklet in the middle of the tub. Clearly they are too big for it now, and it has since been removed.
Every evening there is a bit of a ruckus as they negotiate amongst themselves as to who gets to be where on which perch. The first night was really noisy as they sorted things out!
Day 31, April 27, 2023.
Day 31, April 27, 2023. The cardboard cones are to keep them from jumping up on top of the jars and knocking them over. They sometimes still do knock them over, but not nearly as often.
Day 31, April 27, 2023. Hmm, shall we jump onto the edge of the tub?
The weather has been warming up so the chicklets should be able to be taken out to the coop for good when they are about 6 weeks old. Soon!
The babies continue to grow fast! They are 3 weeks old, well, officially tomorrow, but close enough. I raised their heat plate up to the highest setting. This is the last week that they will need it. They haven’t been using it that much, other than as a place to perch on top of. I have been taking them outside most days, if it is warm enough, so they can play in either the metal cage, or in a small fenced pen. They are really enjoying that a lot.
In the metal cage.
White has the most feathers fledged out. The barring is very pretty.
There is a fair bit of coloration variation. Some are basically black, some, like White, are growing out feathers with brown quills and markings.
Green (band) seems to mostly be growing in black feathers.
I figured it was time to write an update on the babies. I got a few more photos on Saturday, when they were 11 days old.
Getting tail feathers, and their wings are filling in.
Always moving, but you can see little tail feathers on one, and more shoulder/wing feathers coming in.
The next day, Sunday, it was very sunny and in the low 60’s F, around 17 C. I carried each chick separately outside so they could meet the big world. I put each on the ground next to me, briefly. One immediately pecked at a small rock, one went for a small plant, most of the rest were just confused, looking around. The adult hens were there to visit when I took the first one out, so I gave them some food. They were very interested in the chick, but I kept them back. One hen was quite protective of the others, puffing up her neck and body feathers in a threat display. I just pushed her back and kept them all away from the baby. Oh, and no, there were no hens nearby when I put any of the chicks on the ground. After the first chick the hens lost interest and gave us plenty of room. A couple of the babies never even saw them, as the hens had gone under the bushes to lie down for a little bit.
Today we brought out the old metal pen and I put the babies into it.
What is this green stuff!
The hen is either Yellow or Neon, and a year ago she was one of the babies in the pen!
I only left them in the pen for a few minutes. It isn’t hot yet, and I didn’t want them to get chilly. Also, they are still so small that they can pop through some of the wires. They are growing so fast it won’t be long before they can’t get through, but until then it will simply be very short visits to the pen with me right there the whole time.
Checking out the grass and clover. So many new feathers coming in!
Notice that one of the chicks has not yet grown her tail feathers. The little bit of fluff looks like she will be getting them grown out in the next few days. She has the least new feathers otherwise as well.
I find it fascinating how each has her own personality, each grows her feathers out in her own time. Most are very similar in when they are growing their feathers, and of course the pattern of growth of the new feathers is the same for all of them.
In a couple of days I will be raising the heat plate again, and when that happens I’m going to move them to a larger tub, with higher sides. Otherwise they’ll be sticking their little heads out through the screen on the cover!
The babies turned a week old yesterday, and are growing fast. All 7 are alert, active and healthy, jumping, flapping their wings and running around. On schedule I raised the heat plate up a notch, as they don’t need to be as warm now. While the heat plate is in their tub, they haven’t been spending much time under it anymore, preferring to be on top of it, on the small perch we have for them, eating, drinking and roaming around. My husband did a nice job with the little perch, and they like jumping up and through it. This morning one was on it, and another one launched herself from across the tub, body slammed her off the perch and almost landed on top of the heat plate! The excitement never ends.
I got a few photos of the babies yesterday, but it is very hard to get them as they move around so much.
They spend a lot of time eating!
When I clean out their tub I take out the heat plate, which gives them some more room to play.
Yesterday was quite warm, but very stormy. Now that the storms are past the temperatures are back in the 40’s F, about 45 F/7 C right now/. In a few days it is forecast to be warmer and sunny at which point I’ll start taking them outside. At first one at a time, then I’ll put them out in a pen. First for short periods, then longer as they get bigger and it gets warmer.
I’m finding it interesting how these babies aren’t looking as patchy as the ISA Browns did last year. They grew in mostly white feathers on top of their yellow fluff, then mixed yellow and brown feathers until they finally got to brown. Some of these have some white on their wings, but mostly they are looking the same, only bigger with actual black feathers instead of black fluff. It will be interesting to see if the cream areas grow in light feathers, and if the markings that some of them have remain as they grow out their actual feathers.
I don’t have good photos of the ones with white on their flight feathers yet. At some point before long I will try to get photos of each of them separately, but that’s hard to do by myself.
The Black Sex Link chicks are 5 days old now. Today we moved them to the next size larger tub, and my sweetie made them a small perch. The 2 larger perches he made last year are fine for the big tub that they will be in later, but for now, a small one is better. It will fit in this tub, and the bars are small enough for these baby feet.
Flight feathers are growing, and the pin feathers are starting for their tail feathers.
They are already bigger and stronger, able to jump up onto things more easily.
They are curious about the new perch. It will help them get stronger and improve their coordination.
Some are almost all black/dark grey, others have more areas of cream and lighter grey.
I find it fascinating how the feathers grow in. First flight feathers, then tail feathers. It is difficult to get photos of their fronts and under their throats, but their color ranges from black to grey, some with cream markings.
This young lady has only some cream under her throat, and a bit on her wings, as well as some lighter grey on her chest.
Timely Thoughts for Fun 