I'm busy today trying to figure out how to get a new camera into the chick enclosure so you can watch them whenever you so desire.
But I wanted to get a quick update on how quickly chicks grow. When I got the chicks I had a few people say they'd come in a week or so to see them and I had to tell them, if you want to see a cute fluffy chick you need to get here within the first 3 days. After that they start to lose their soft feathers, get a big gangly and before you know it they're covered in pimples.
Alas. The teenage chicken.
Just as a bit of a refresher, here's the chick with the fluffiest legs a week ago.
Only 5 days old and it was already starting to get wing and tail feathers.
He/she/it has changed quite a bit in the past 7 days. Here he/she/it is at 12 days old.
Even though this particular chick has the most feather growth, is the biggest, and has the thickest legs, he/she/it has the smallest comb of all of them. It's very dark and almost non existent.
You can see how I sexed another batch of chicks here using 3 different methods by the way.
The feathered legs are a standard characteristic of French Marans. Other breeds that have feathered legs are Brahmas, Cochins, Silkies and Sultans.
I'm going to document this one chick in a photo series every week or two until he/she/it is full grown.
If you can't wait for the pictures you can tune into The Coop Cam (which isn't up and running yet, but hopefully will be soon).
Until then your thirst for sexually ambiguous male/females will have to be quenched with an 80's video.
My best friend just got more chicks. Since she already had two older chicks, she asked the seller for 3 week old chicks, so they wouldn't get beat up as much. What he sold her are the cutest fluffiest babies - but there is no way they are three weeks old! I'll be sure to show her your photo series.
Our chicks are way past the cute stage, but I love 'em anyway.
What are you going to do if one of them turns out to be a rooster?
Sell him in Kijiji. :) I've had to do that before. Uh Oh! Tuco! You're a Rooster! ~ ka
Thanks on the info about other "fluffy" leg breeds. We have one and it yet to be determent which breed she is. I think she might be Brahmas or mix of some sort. But those feet definitely makes whole chicken look expensive and important lol.
Dear Karen,
I loved the he/she/it references throughout. Your darling Maran chick is an "it" and will always be an "it" even when it's full grown. I know, so unfair. Like all animals in the animal kingdom, someone (in dark caves I think) decided to give creatures the pronoun "it". Same for babies - that's always a hard sell for me when I teach my college students.
You probably already knew that fact but couldn't resist posting about it (there it is again!).
Looks a bit like you could put a leash on his leg when he gets bigger. Are you sure they're chickens?
You should probably start some sort of betting pool to guess the sexes; make some cool cash :) Is that legal?
Love that the toes are so wide, and the legs are positively stocky... that is one solid bird! Thanks for posting the pics - keep it up!
Yeah..the cute French chicks always get the most attention..lol
Hah! ~ karen
I guess Baba Yaga's house isn't of the feathered leg variety of chicken. I've seen hundreds of illustrations and photos of the Slavic crone's house on giant chicken legs, but the legs were never this chic (sheek!)
So jealous! Had sent away for a maran hen. I got a barred rock. Similar as chicks but different in the end and the egg color is, is boring...you wil have those gorgeous dark brown beauties!! oy! So jealous..