Chick Watching

I was just sitting out in the coop, which is currently divided nearly in two with chicken wire. The silkies and me on one side and my three and four week olds on the other. Their personalities (and maybe breed atributes) are more obvious than ever.

The three Ameraucanas are very active and are frequently seen chasing each other other around. It almost always is one of them that will run off with a peice of sod and the others will chase. Horus (for he has the eye of Ra) the little roo was brazen from the start and continues to be, but he seems good natured so far. Isis has lost the ladybug marking on her back now that she is mostly feathered out, but the little tiara-like glyph on her head is still discernable.

Day, the ISA Brown, was the first to be the most curious about me and now the little brown Ameraucana, Nephthys, also steps right up as soon as my hand appears. You can see Day and the make-shift feeder in the foreground. The two Welsummers are in the back.

I think I can now distinguish between the male and female Welsummers. The male I think has the bigger comb and his feathers have developed an almost partridge look to them. By contrast the other's body is now nearly uniformly brown and has just a hint of a comb. She tends to be a little shier and he is usually part of the crush trying to get to oatmeal from my palm.

The Black Stars are all now decidely hen like, but it's the little Buff Orp, Charlotte (after Miss Lucas who went into Kent) who has learned first to sleep with her head under her wing.