Camilla, Petunia and Nellie at 2 Weeks

Wow!  These birds grow and change so fast!  It has been fun to watch their feathers come in more each day.  They develop in a progression but I never can tell what is going to feather out next until they start popping through.  Camilla, Petunia and Nellie are 2 weeks old today, so I think it is time to share some more pictures!

Nellie will be a dark red/brown but her feathers that are coming in now are a much wider variety of colors.

Petunia is growing the fastest and is a bit ahead of the other two on her feather growth, too.

Camilla's feathers are growing in with little white tips and a tiny bit slower than the other ones.  She is also the smallest in size and takes seriously deep naps.  She is our mellowest bird.

This picture is from a week ago.  When they turned 1 week old, I changed their brooder bedding over from paper towels to pine shavings.  I also elevated their water and food above the shavings to try to keep it a bit cleaner.  In case you didn't know, chickens poo A LOT!  They are not above pooing right into their water and food.  I have to refresh these areas for them a few times each day.

Petunia is growing so fast!  I am a wee bit concerned that she might be a rooster.  We won't know for sure until she is about 3 months old.  Fingers crossed she is just a sizable hen with an unusual level of awareness, but in case that is not what happens, we have a back up plan.  You can compare this photo with this one from the first week to see the size difference.  Same box, much bigger birds!

They are also getting a bit more curious about what is outside of their box. I had to make a lid for it in case they decide to test their limits.

When I take the lid off to get some pictures, sometimes they get a little over confident and I get a face full of flailing bird!

We decided to take them out tonight to see if they would enjoy a little more space to move around.  We cleared out the bathroom floor, closed the cat out and let the chicks out of the brooder.

They didn't really know what to do with themselves!  We offered a bit of pasta to see if that would get them moving around more.

It wasn't a big hit.  So far the few bits of "treats" we have tried haven't been well received with the exception of a bit of hard boiled egg during their first few days.

Thanks for the picture, Paul!

I like to hold them a little each day so they get used to being touched.  They don't love it but once they are nestled in my hands, they calm down.  During the picking them up and setting them down part, they often act like the sky is falling.

 

One more photo comparison for you...it is pretty amazing how rapidly they develop!  The photo above is 2 weeks from hatch date and the photo below is the day after hatching.

I am guessing that by the next time I share some pictures with you, they will look a lot more awkward.  I've seen some indicators that there is an adolescent phase coming up soon!