Teenagers and Tinies

The five chicks that hatched earlier this summer are now almost seven weeks old. They have feathers instead of fuzz but still follow their mother around. Only three of them stayed still for a picture, along with a hen and our one rooster.


On Thursday morning we went outside to play and I saw little birds next to a hen near the barn. Closer inspection revealed TEN tiny chicks. We didn't even know another hen was setting on eggs; she must have been in the barn. I don't know how she keeps track of all those little ones, but they look so cute following her everywhere.

Now we call the older chicks "teenagers". If these hens keep being such good setters and mothers, we'll never have to buy egg chickens again (as long as we get hens, not roosters!). Fifteen chicks in one summer is a pretty good number when we only have ten adult hens at the moment. Next summer we'll have more eggs than we can use.