Chicken update - 12 days old

This chicks we ordered were hatched on April 16th, so they are 12 days old today. This week we began restricting the diet of the fryers (Cornish Rocks), so they wouldn't overeat and kill themselves. As you can see, these chicks are bred to GROW... and eat and grow they do! For comparison: here is a chick that I got from the feed store that is exactly one week younger.

12 days old on the left, 5 days old on the right!

The chicks are feathering out pretty well, and soon the Cornish will be able to venture out of the brooder to the area of the barn that will be their home, which will be about right for the laying hens (20 weeks to maturity, compared to the 8 weeks to maturity for the Cornish), to move to the brooder, as they outgrow their basement play-pen. :)

Cornish

We think we have identified our mixed lot of laying hens as: Dominiques, Black Stars, Rhode Is. Reds, Buffs, and a single Leghorn. We'll see how right we are as they grow. :)

Laying hens

Related posts:

Chic Pic
Chicks are here!
Waiting on [chicken] Babies
Early April 2012 Spring Garden: Cabbage, Broccoli, Dill, and Radishes
2012 Garden, Part one: Cold Frames, lettuce, and potatoes

Counting my Blessings:

#82 School year done

#83 Bowling fun

#84 only lost 2 chicks out of 140!

#85 getting a few new chicks at the feed store

#86 finding devotional encouragement after feeling SO strained and drained

#87 the blessing of being home with my children (my favorite people)

#88 freedom from my allergies, a gift from God!

#89 rain

#90 cool breezes

#91 planting cucumbers

#92 free kindle books

#93 kids who read, and read, and read!