# Chickens are two months old as of Saturday!



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I can't quite call them chicks anymore now can I?

Salome and Rebekah each weigh about two pounds. Little Rachel is about a pound and a half.

It is a rainy morning, so these may not be the best pictures, but here are Sarah and Salome saying hi mom!


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## kayfabulous6 (Nov 19, 2013)

Aww they are getting so big! They are very good looking chickens I have to say. How is their temperament?


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

The two that are looking at me in the picture above are very bonded with me. They always want to be picked up or to climb around on me. The buff orpington (red bird) is very mellow and sweet. The ameraucanas are a bit more high energy but still very nice and not skittish. The splash bird, Rebekah, I think will be the top of the peck order. They are being very gentle with each other in trying to set the order though.

Here are a few more of the rainy morning pics.


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## sweetheartsrodeo (Sep 19, 2012)

I have to say, I have never thought of chickens as being pretty... that is until yours! They are really beautiful birds! My have the grown!


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

Our chickens that were raised together were always very casual about their pecking order, but if a new chicken was brought in, things got ugly quickly. What really surprised me, though, was that if we had to pull a chicken out for a few days of medical care... that poor chicken was put through the wringer when it was brought back out. It was so bad that I preferred to leave the sickie with the group, and run back and forth to medicate her. We also learned to re-integrate by putting the "new" chicken in a big wire crate inside the coop for a few days. Chickens can be really mean...remind me of kids in the schoolyard. At home they all seem like sweet little angels, but turn them loose in a schoolyard and they can get quite vicious.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I got home early enough to let the little ladies loose in the yard. I took Lily with me. Here are some pictures. In one of them you see Lily sitting pretty waiting for me to throw a ball for her. That was the most important thing to her.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Charmed said:


> Our chickens that were raised together were always very casual about their pecking order, but if a new chicken was brought in, things got ugly quickly. What really surprised me, though, was that if we had to pull a chicken out for a few days of medical care... that poor chicken was put through the wringer when it was brought back out. It was so bad that I preferred to leave the sickie with the group, and run back and forth to medicate her. We also learned to re-integrate by putting the "new" chicken in a big wire crate inside the coop for a few days. Chickens can be really mean...remind me of kids in the schoolyard. At home they all seem like sweet little angels, but turn them loose in a schoolyard and they can get quite vicious.


Charmed, thanks for those insights about peck order. I certainly don't see a lot of effort going in to deciding who is top chicken, just raised hackles and a little charging around for a few seconds, then all is back in order. I am happy about that since I would worry for the orpington. She is so mellow and low key and the only one of her kind. I've been a bit worried that the others would gang up on her.

On the days where I let them free range, I let them out late enough that I don't have to run around to catch them. I let them put themselves to bed. They have been very funny the last few times since they all variously seem to want to jump up on the nest box, the roof of the run or coop or the door to the coop if I open it.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

*Oops forgot these!*

Here are a couple of more pics of Lily wanting her ball and ignoring birds.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Aw Lily is so good around the chicks - they really have grown. Maybe you'll have some championship birds to go with your championship dog. Hugs - Claire


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Since they are heritage/rare breeds, I suppose I could think about showing them. So many shows to go to, so little time...


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Wow! your girls are growing into 'real' chickens now! Quite prettily too! I'm just amazed at Lily wanting her ball more than the chickens.....I don't think Molly would be so laid back about them!!!LOL!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Oh Molly there is nothing laid back by how obsessed she is with balls. She actually did quite a bit of barking with no notice taken by the little ladies. They are big aren't they?


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