Chick growth by the week

I figured the chicks were probably born some time April 4, spent April 5 in transit, then arrived at my post office branch at 3:30 a.m. April 6. The first week I kept them in two Rubbermaid-type totes with wood shavings topped by some newspaper. The larger babies were quickly kind of squished in that so an emergency project was called for.

Week one:

I fabricated a 33-inch by 4-foot (sort of) cardboard box with duct tape that didn't actually stick to the cardboard very well. The box will probably fall apart quickly but at least for the time being, they were contained safely as we worked on the new chicken baby enclosure in one of the haylofts out in the barn. 

Week two and the homemade box:  

End of Week four:

Goldie has yellow feathers on her legs - I don't know what breed she is. This must be the "free, exotic chick" included in my hatchery order LOL!

this one with the pompadour is Elvis!

Weeks 5 or 6, something like that:

The move out to the new coop shed! 

Finally, pix from today, May 24 - almost 2 months old:  

Food Frenzy

I gave the babies some sunflower microgreens, thinking their instincts would kick in because the stems resemble worms. It was hilarious! They grabbed the green but then didn't know quite what to do with them, so they ran around the box trying to keep the others from getting what they had! Crazy birds!

Also, more individual baby pix (sort of?). This is one of the Dark Cornish - I think. (the one in the front that is fully pictured). Cheetah and Leopard - although neither of them are very bold.

The silver gray dorkings I took a couple pictures of, none really demonstrate the cute black triangle on her head. Celeste and Hermione. 

Still need to get pix of Big Bertha and Beyonce, the Partridge Rocks. They are also not very brave, even though they are big!

And a curious cute yellow baby again just for fun! Except it turns out I don't have 3 buff Orphingtons - one of them is developing feathers on her feet, so I have no idea what she is. How exciting!

Adorable

The yellow lady in the middle is a buff Orphington. It seems I have 3 of them, so how about Honey, Nectar, and Pollen?

There are 2 golden polish with the funny topknot, I can't wait to see what they look like when they are grown LOL! Anna and Elvis ;)

There are 6 black Australorps! Supposed to be good layers AND good meat birds, so if I decide 19 new hens is too much, then at 12 weeks I might freeze some fresh chicken. Urgh. 

There are 2 of these white-faced bigguns - light Brahmas. They are supposed to mostly white when full grown, with a few black markings and FEATHERS ON THEIR FEET! how awesome is that! Frosty and Snowman is what I call these two.

Not yet pictured:  Silver gray Dorkings (2), dark Cornish (2), and Partridge Rocks (2). 

Farmer workout

The HOSS cultivator in action! Well, without a video, which makes it more like pre-1890s action ;)

I only took pix with the 3-tip cultivator attachment, which was tricky enough one-handed. 

I guess a better shot would have included the tines or at least a shot of the soil gracefully curving away from the tines. Ah well.

 Can't see much of the actual tool, I will have to get someone to hold it so I can take a more comprehensive photo soon!

Next step: Adding wood ash from winter and mushroom compost. Then it's planting time YAY!

The biggest one

The other trilliums in my pasture may not look like it in the previously posted photos, but they are pretty small. But today I found this monster trillium as I walked out to till the new garden! HUGE!

I found treasure in my pasture

Trilliums growing! such a lovely gift!

Peeking

Two of the five microgreens I planted are germinated and a third is peeking through the soil!

In the front its sunflower microgreens, in the back, beets are out and growing, chard is close behind and looks really similar LOL!

Can't wait to taste the beets, since I love beet greens starting a few days ago ;)