= how many baby chicks we have on the farm as of today! That's right... six more joined the menagerie of critters entertaining us, and now you. I've never been good at math, but I can tell you that 1+11+13+6 = babies galore!
BBC (Brown Barn Chicken) disappeared not quite a month ago, leaving John's Chicken as the only hen at the barn, along with Admiral and Buddy Boy who is the last remaining rooster from last summer's batch of chicks. (All the other hens/roosters are in coops at different places on the farm.) But it would seem that BBC wasn't "gone" from the farm, just "missing".
Apparently she was sitting in a location completely out of sight on her own little (20+) nest of eggs! She managed to hatch 6 babies, and brought them out to hunt for bugs this morning. Alan came into the house to wake me after he obtained a count of the chicks. Barely conscious I slipped on my clogs, grabbed the camera, and went out to meet the new little flock.
It may not surprise you to hear me say that I *love* baby chickens. It's true... I do. And look at the stripes on these little guys!
BBC is an Easter Egger hen, and lays pretty green eggs. The pullets (pullets=girls) in this batch of chicks should lay green eggs too, since both Admiral and Buddy Boy are Easter Egger fellas and *should* carry the green egg laying gene, and pass it along to their offspring.
Their wing feathers are just barely starting to show, which leads me to believe that these babies hatched late yesterday. Their wing feathers will grow quickly and soon they will lose their unbearably cute fluffy fuzz and be a mix of new incoming feathers and thin fuzz as they outgrow their fluff.
Baby chickens and mother hens make life on the farm extra peaceful. Like things are the way they are meant to be.
Fuzzy butts. *giggle*
What is not to love about baby chickens...
I have another cute little farm update to share with you tomorrow... it features Chainsaw! Stay tuned!
Ha ha! BBC = Brown Barn Chicken! So clever and funny. She sure is a cute hen (love how her tail feathers go up so high over her back). She passed on her cuteness to all those darling babies too.
Posted by: Shellie Daniel | May 25, 2010 at 01:28 PM
Too fippin' CUTE!! Mr. Wiley really knows how to strike a pose. Could be your next model for a stamp. ;) Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: PeggyF(lefsegirl) | May 24, 2010 at 07:12 PM
I am amazed to see just how quickly the newly hatched chicks get their fuzzy feathers. I always thought they they were born with no feathers and that the feathers grew in gradually. Huh.
Posted by: bonnie weiss | May 24, 2010 at 06:07 PM
I can't believe the variety of colour these little chicks have and all from one mum too.
Will they change or keep close to their coloration?
Posted by: NormaJ | May 24, 2010 at 05:34 PM
I have such chicken envy! Who knew chickens came in stripes, Adorable!
Posted by: Margaret R | May 24, 2010 at 02:27 PM
So cute and I like the coloring on BBC. tfs
Posted by: Bev | May 24, 2010 at 10:37 AM
Fuzzy chicken butts are the cutest thing ever! Oh, how I would love to just scoop up these little guys and have some of my own. Thanks for sharing your pics!
Posted by: Michelle Martin | May 24, 2010 at 09:48 AM
OH my..... i love baby chicks and your pics are the greatest.... thanks for crawling out of bed and taking the pictures....
Posted by: Harriet Hensley | May 24, 2010 at 05:48 AM
So sweet. Love the farm photos, I will be back to check on Chainsaw tomorrow! Hugs...
Posted by: Carol Dee | May 24, 2010 at 04:55 AM
so very cute, cute, cute
Posted by: Debbie | May 24, 2010 at 03:33 AM
OMG how cute are they? Are you keeping them all? You are becoming the "Chicken Lady" LOL
SRSLY...what will you do with all those eggs?..and then next year you will have these chickies having more chickies...
..hmm..maybe I shouldn't have asked that question...never mind :-) :-(
Posted by: Sue | May 24, 2010 at 02:19 AM
Awwwww they are really cute! Wonderful photos, thank for sharing.
Posted by: Sian | May 24, 2010 at 12:25 AM
oooppsss,..... sorry for duplicating my comment. i thought my first comment didn't get through.. sorry
Posted by: Nursing tank | May 23, 2010 at 10:29 PM
what a wonderful photos! nice shots! and oh i love chicken especially baby chickens. yaya! love to take care of them, wish i could get back in our town and take care of some farm animals.
Posted by: Nursing tank | May 23, 2010 at 10:27 PM
what a wonderful photos! nice shots! and oh i love chicken especially baby chickens. yaya! love to take care of them. :D
Posted by: Nursing tank | May 23, 2010 at 10:25 PM