May 14, Day 13

Kids grow up so fast! Seemingly overnight, our cute little chicks have entered their awkward adolescent stage. I thought that one of the chicks was getting pecked on the back of the neck because the down seemed sparse. Closer inspection revealed that an illusion of baldness had been created by the shafts of the real feathers coming in.

Shafts of true feathers coming in at the neck of an Araucana

Raising chickens has led me to marvel, as I often do, at the evolutionary connectedness among organisms. There are differences in how down and hair grow, but baby chicks seem just as furry as kittens. If blindfolded, I doubt I could tell them apart by touch. I'm willing to bet there's some genetic homology there.

The Dominiques are getting stripes on their tails and wings. The size difference between them and the larger chickens, especially the Brahma, is getting more pronounced. Sara's behind is still bald, but I think I see signs of the feathers growing back. I am being careful not to rub with the wet paper towel. I see no sign of infection, so I have stopped putting the ointment on. Sara was certainly very lively when I was trying to catch her for the evening brooder cleaning.

Dominique (not Sara) with striped tail and wings

The Brahmas are growing quickly. Tonight they seemed easier to catch than the other chicks. Is this a sign of their reportedly mellow personalities? Or are the little ones just speedier?

Brahma (note feathers on feet)

We put a thicker, taller perch in the box yesterday. We positioned it at an angle so there would be thermal zones along it. The first perch, about two inches high, was parallel to the short side of the box and about equidistant from the heat lamp. The angle of the new perch causes one side to be warmer than the other. I have been fascinated by the chicks instinctive thermoregulatory behavior. We fretted and fretted about getting the heat lamp correctly positioned before the chicks came home, but it turned out, yet again, that the books were right. The chicks will tell you if it's too hot or too cold. If they are huddled beneath the lamp, the lamp needs to be lowered. If they are plastered against the side of the brooder opposite the lamp, the lamp is too close. They could not have learned these behaviors. They were just hatched knowing.

All the chicks still sleep on the floor. At some point they will sleep on the roost. Here is a picture of two of the chickens resting peacefully on the new perch after all the excitement of brooder cleaning.

Chicks on the new perch