Pardon me, miss, but did you know that your tail feathers are showing?

The little flock has been busy growing since I last updated the blog. They now all know how to use the perches and jump around when someone tries to grab them. Because they are so jumpy we decided to add a roof for their brooder box earlier than we had anticipated. We don't want any loose chicks. They would get cold and lonely out in the big bad world of our guest room.

The brooder box set up. Shows a large plastic container, filled with bedding, food, water, and 4 little chicks. A heat lamp is suspended from a ladder with a chain. The height of the lamp can be adjusted to change the temperature in the brooder box. The simple lid/roof is made up of two scrap pieces of wood with chicken wire stapled on them.

The chicks have been eating a lot, drinking a lot, pooping a lot, and growing noticeably day by day. The largest changes are in the emerging wing and tail feathers and in the larger overall size of the chicks. It was once possible to easily pick up and hold them with a single hand but that is becoming increasingly difficult. We now find ourselves using a second hand to lift the little chirping chicks off the brooder box floor.

Willow being held between two hands. Her black and white barred wing and tail feathers are visible through her chick fluff. They grow up so fast! This photo was taken two days ago.

Merrill being held between two hands. She is a pretty black and golden chick with a distinctive golden stripe above her beak.

A close up photo of Willow taken today. Her black and white barred feather pattern is becoming more evident day by day. She has many more feathers than she did two days ago.