Tuesday, April 12, 2011

My how they grow

Howdy!  The chicks are now 8 weeks old, fully feathered, and gorgeous.  Roxie is my favorite, but it turns out that Roxie may be a boy.  She crowed the last couple mornings.  This is upsetting to me as Roxie is the prettiest in coloring and I will only have Buff Orpington roosters to keep my Orpingtons breeding true.  I have heard of dominant females crowing, and am hoping this is the case, but Roxie is getting a crest sooner then the others and it is pinker then the others.
Roxie and Misty have the best muffs and beards.  I am beginning to wonder if Louise and Sarah are true Americanas, as they have no muffs or beards.  So, out of 5 Americana pullets, looks like I got 1 rooster, and two that aren't true americanas.  Not too happy about this.
I have had no luck in taming these girls.  They still totally freak out whenever I am near.  Once you have a hold of one, they calm down, but getting a hold of one is another story.
The silkie chicks are growing and I have to figure out something to do with them.  They are getting too big for their container, but the Americanas have a few more months before they can go in with the big girls.  I lost a Silkie chick, one of my buffs.  I did not think they were big enough to jump out of the container.  I was wrong, and came home to one having drowned in the toilet tank.  I was so upset and cried for hours.  They now have a cover over the container, and a board over the toilet tank.
I also lost one of my big girls to a hit and run on the road in front of the house.
Here are update pictures of the Americana girls (boy?)
Sookie at 8 weeks
 Louise at 8 weeks
 Sarah at 8 weeks
 Misty at 8 weeks
 Roxie at 8 weeks