It's been a new experience for me to watch the hens tend their chicks. Both hens continue to act as moms, with the chicks crawling under either one for warmth and protection. The first few days, the main mom stayed in the nest box and the surrogate mom posted herself just outside the chicken door to prevent the little ones from leaving the coop. Yesterday, the whole family was outside all day, with the hens teaching the chicks how to forage. The other hens remain curious, occasionally peck at the chicks, but both moms get all fluffed up when they get too close to the babes. I was somewhat concerned when all 6 tried to settle in for the night outside, and moved them back into the coop. Gary and I are going camping this afternoon, so all the chickens are on their own (we have an automatic door to the coop that opens and closes at dawn/dusk). They've done well thus far with very little human interference, so I'll just hope for the best. The chicks are starting to feather out and will be a week old tomorrow or Thursday.

The light chick with Mom #2 blocking access to the chicken door


The moms teaching the chicks how to scratch and peck


Both moms all fluffed out while another hen checks out the chicks

Great pictures Deb!! So cute, love that one with the dark wings. Hope they are OK while your gone.

I just read the updates on this thread - Deb how totally cute!!! How were the chicks when you returned from your time away??? The moms are so cute together too!!

Yes, we need an update!

It's hard to catch a photo of all four chicks together, but here's a couple with the moms on the right, and another of two little guys squaring off with each other. Fun to watch them. We've had great luck leaving them - just now back from 5 days camping and all hens and chicks are still with us. I can load them up with food/water for at least a week and we usually have a friend drop by after a 3 or 4 day absence. Can't tell the sex of the babes yet, hoping they aren't all roosters!

Cute! Glad to hear they are all good!

cute little ones. Hope you have hens!!!

They are very cute. That little one looks quite angry!

I'd forgotten how cute chickens can be. It was fun reading this entire thread just now.
Heh, but what I haven't forgotten is what our chickens did to my garden in Oregon!

I only have two hens that get out on a daily basis and they don't do much damage, other than scattering dirt around a bit. I would imagine if the whole flock was out all day that would be a much different story.

It's pretty amazing the holes they can dig! Ours would excavate their way out of their pen and take up residence in the barn, laying eggs in the feeders and digging holes in the walkway. They were a bit wild, having come with the property.

I've been letting them all free-range lately, but fortunately remembered to shut their yard gate last evening. This morning, I caught a young coyote snooping around the back yard and yelled at it, then went to count chickens. All still there making a gawd-awful racket, but I'll have to be more diligent about shutting the gate. They are safely locked inside their coop at night, and mostly my dog is outside during the day, but I think those coyotes do their hunting in the late evening/early morning when we're all snugged up on the couch. My husband gave the coyote a warning shot from his .22 but it was long gone by then.

Oh Deb this thread makes me want chickens again in the worst way! I just love them Your little family is so darn adorable.
I just have to talk my husband into building a fortress for them. We have LOTS of predators. I have been secretly collecting plans for coops and various other chicken implements EVENTUALLY

Toni, my best investment so far is the automatic chicken door which opens/closes at dawn/dusk. Battery operated although I think you can also hard wire it. There are several on the market, here's the one I bought and I've been extremely happy with it and the fellow who makes it. He is very accessible and helpful. It gives us much more flexibility to be away from the farm with less worries about predators and less imposing on friends to 'check the chickens.' I just have someone come by every 3-4 days to gather eggs.

http://adorstore.com/

My second best tip is to build the coop on stilts so the hens have an easy 'escape' under the coop from flying predators. I can't tell you how many times they've all been quivering under the coop, apparently after a hawk or eagle did a fly-by. It also gives them some place to be outside but out of the rain - much healthier than crowding inside the coop during inclement weather.

Go for it - nothing beats fresh eggs. And I love having hens scratching around the yard. I even liked the sound, but not the temperament, of our late rooster.

I think we're slowly rolling up to the actual act of building for and acquiring chickens. It'll be a first for both of us, 'though I did "chicken-sit" for a friend once. Several decades ago, lol. But I suspect chickens haven't evolved too much in that time for me still to recognize them. Next year!

Post pictures as you progress, Turtle. We're all suckers for projects. Will you start with baby chicks or get grown hens?

Here's my now-teenagers. I can't tell if they are pullets or roosters at this point. Any guesses? I think the gold one may be a hen, but no clue about the dark ones yet. They have longer back tails but so does my Welsummer hen, so who knows. They are about 2 1/2 months old, and one of the moms is usually still close by. Hard to get them all to hold still for a pic. The rooster was a Welsummer, and these little ones could be a mix of any of my other hens I suppose. Mutts.

Deb they are really pretty! I love those dark ones with the lighter heads!!

Gorgeous photos. I love those little chickies. They look do happy