One week old babies

What a difference one week makes.  I can already see that the babies are getting bigger.  I wish I had weighed one last week to see how much bigger they are just a week later.

I put them in the dog crate and took them outside for a bit today.  It was sunny and warm and I want the big girls to get to know them too.  I stayed close as they can still squeeze through the gaps on the dog crate.  I think by next weekend, they won't fit through any more and I can relax a little more.

But there were two Coopers Hawks circling over the garden the whole time the hens were out.  I'm sure they are feeding young this time of the year and that makes me nervous to have the hens outside.

Penny is the black one on the left.  She's got the most adorable white, fluffy bottom.

One of the BO's is whiter than the others.  She's Daisy.  But I still can't tell the other three from one another yet.

Oh, that face!

I love Penny's back and blond face.  Even her beak is black on top and blond on the bottom.

Already their little tails are starting to grow.

This is Bella.  I'm already in love with her feathers.

And at one week of age, they figured out what that saucer of sand/dirt in the corner of their run was for.  They had the best time dust bathing together.  Hard to imagine that in just a few weeks, not even one of them will fit in this tiny saucer.

BABIES

Losing Pickles was really rough.  But as the saying goes, life goes on.  I knew I wanted to get more babies.  The challenge was working it into my busy schedule.

I was hoping to get Black Astralorps.  I love, love, love my Buff Orpingtons, but I feel like they just don't live as long as some other breeds.  I did a ton of research on hens that are quiet, docile, but still good layers.  Can tolerate some heat and generally get along with everyone without being a bully.  And Black Astralorps seemed to fit that bill.

But when I called around to find some, I was going to be a least a month before anyone had some locally.  When I called my favorite feed store, she said they wouldn't have any until June.  And out of the blue she said, "But we're getting a big shipment of Buff Orpingtons in on Saturday."  And I knew it was a sign.

So I picked up four BO's and then found out they had Cochins.  So I also got one black and one partridge Cochin for a total of 6 babies.

Three of the four Buff Orpington's peeking out from under their electric hen.

The Partridge Cochin is on the left and the Black is on the right.

Eating is a group sport.

This was the best group shot I could get. They were really shy the first day home.  These little guys go through a lot after hatching to get to their home.  Already today, they are so much more active.