So our baby chicks are two weeks old now, and I am just so shocked every morning when there is something new.  Human babies come out pretty much done, at least mine did, but chickens…one morning they all had ears.  I mean one day fuzzy head, the next day ears.  It has been so crazy.  And the size difference is getting more obvious.  Our Silver Laced Wyandotte is the largest, and most inquisitive, of the flock.

SLW trying to figure out what the thing is that keeps flashing brightly at them.

They were not amused by the camera and all huddled together on one side of the stock tub.  Little Teeny Weenie there on the left side is almost half the size of some of the larger girls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teeny Weenie still lives up (or down) to her name, and one of our Rhode Island Reds (I’ve just now decided I should call her Polly) thinks she is a parrot and steps onto my finger then climbs up my arm to nestle at my neck or attempt to sit on my shoulder.  As adorable as it is this behavior does make me nervous as there is almost always a cat watching me hold these birds, and hoping, I’m sure, for one to jump away and into their mouths.

Polly sitting on my finger, showing off her new ear. Hopefully this one doesn’t end up being a rooster, she’s the sweetest one.

 

 

 

 

I thought it might be cute to put some dandelion greens into their tub today to get them used to eating greens, and then as an after thought I grabbed a couple of worms from under our logs. We’d put a cricket in the tub a few days earlier, but regreted it as some of the bigger chicks then thought the fluff on our silkies feet were bugs, so I thought maybe a worm would be okay.  The kids found out a few weeks ago that the stumps we use out back at our fire pit are a breeding ground for worms.  I could turn one over every other day and find at least twenty. I prob should have grabbed twenty but then the chaos would have just lasted that much longer. When I first put the greens and worms in all the chickens backed up to stare, but as soon as one of our Barred Rocks figured it out it was all over.

What did you just put in here?

It’s mine, I found it first!

Chickens running madly while chirping with worms dangling out of their mouths while the others chased them, trying to steal the prize.  At one point there were 5 pieces of worm and 5 chickens doing the chasing and one Teeny Weenie trying desperately not to get trampled in the melee.  I picked her up and she huddled down, happy to be out of the line of fire.  After the worms were gone the big chicks still went around scratching the ground like mad…I wish they were a little bigger so I could let them outside, but I know this time is going to fly by, just like the last year has flown by.

Baby opens his first ever birthday gift. A puppy and a book from his Great Grandparents in MN.

Baby enjoys his birthday cupcake after Bubba and Beanie blow out the candle for him.

Our baby just turned one yesterday.  I know that if the last year felt like no time at all, these chicks are only going to be chicks for a few more blinks.  I’ll enjoy the time I have while they still want to snuggle…chickens and kids.