It is quite interesting how fast these little girls grow up! Almost twice their hatch size already and getting their lowest flight feather along the bottom of their wings. They have become great eaters – in the morning they stretch legs and wings, get some water and then hit the feeder! They are definitely establishing a hierarchy with one of the biggest chicks, a Barnvelder (I think), pushing the others around. The Orpington just placidly move away, but the Welsummer (?) hold their ground better. They all have developed their first flight feathers and do a sort of long, flapping jump at times. It has become much harder to catch them because they are willing to split up and go every direction. And then start flapping away – I usually end up laughing and can’t get it together to grab them. They are still quite delicate so you have to be gentle! I haven’t seen any evidence of pasty butt lately but it does make me nervous when I can’t catch them to check. They seem to have plenty of energy so…? They’ve also started growing their tails which are a bit ridiculous to say the least.
There are two pullets that are smaller than the rest but still developing their first flight feathers and behaving normally; the Blue Olive Egger that had pasty butt a couple of times and one that is either a Welsummer or Easter Egger. So that smaller size is a little frightening but they too run around and have developed their feathers and gotten really fast!
It is quite interesting to watch how the different breeds change as their feathers come in. The Lavender Orpington and the Blue Olive Eggers are easy to figure out but the other three breeds are harder to keep track of who is who. They intermix freely inside the brooder but seem to be developing some bonds between specific pullets. Maybe or it just might be me!
