Homesteading Middles: The Captivation of Chicks

“Enjoy this time my beloveds, because baby chickens are only cute for the first 10 days or so - and we are assuming these girls were born yesterday, but it may have been the day before that.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Positive. I am positive. Tell you what, I will take pictures of them every day you hold them so we can keep track of how quickly they grow.”

So we did.

Day 2 - The downy covering barely covered the veins and soft bones under the fragile skin. Everyone’s shirts were baptized with their droppings. The small birds huddled together for warmth.

Day 3 - We brought out kitchen towels to safeguard clothing from chicken manure.

Day 4 - Dragon discovered that two of them liked to be tucked inside his bathrobe for warmth - often falling asleep.

Day 5 - All six of them would now need to be corralled back onto towels to make sure their droppings didn’t end up on the couch. Dragon discovered that his bathrobe pockets worked just as well as tucked inside by his chest. Bean liked to lie on her back with her favorite one sitting on her chest while she gazed at the bird, stroking soft feathers and thrumming warmth.

Day 6 - When they first arrived one could take out two or three at a time and manage them. This was no longer the case. Active, curious, and very mobile - each chick would have to be held individually or corralled to prevent a runaway.

Day 7 - Wing feathers became more pronounced in our actively growing flock.

And there it is - no more pictures.

Until Day 42 when I took pictures of them as they are enjoying the outside world for the first time.

The stalwart ladies in our coop are reaching towards their fourth summer and it was time to recharge our flock with new blood. To marvel, once again, at the awesome speed of growth endemic in new life.

The miracle of soft plumage becoming strong feathers.

Of curious pecks on freckles developing into sharp unpleasant shocks.

Of hesitant movements centered around staying warm and safe emerging into bold forays into unknown corners of their world.

I am talking about raising chickens, of course…