Chook update

please say a warm hello to Miss Gina, our latest chook in the dome. She appears to be a Minorca-cross, with an enormous, highly coloured comb and wattles. She definitely stands out amongst the rest of the flock. Apparently, she will lay a very, very large white egg every 3-4 days...she began today.
And these little characters are a small hatching of 5 Andalusian chickens, which hatched 12 days ago. Although this pic is blurry (gee, they move quickly!!), I had to post it - the one of the broody's back is just so fun!!! Of course, they are proving a massive temptation for Phoebe - all she wants is to be able to love them up like she was able when we had some which were incubated for us last year - of course it is a very different story when there is a "Mother" fiercly protecting HER BABIES who will not let either of us get very close at all. A couple of days ago, I twigged to what Phoebe was up to - she was creating a gap in their run, hiding around a corner and waiting for a chick to wander out, whereby she'd then scoop it up for a sneaky cuddle while 'rescuing' it....only the Mother wasn't very happy with this AT ALL!!

The Babies are now 15 weeks old

A goodly portion of Phoebe's day (when not playing with Luke or feeding Ginger) is spent right here inside the little chooks' A-frame tractor in the Orchard.
Having handled them constantly since Day 1, they can only expect to be picked up, cuddled, cossetted, fed and talked to - surely! She is mostly very careful and loves them to bits.
Sometimes it takes prising her out of there...
In 2 of these pics she is holding a speckled boy we've named Pecker (don't laugh - he Pecks alot!) and the dark bird is Rusty - another very sweet-seeming boy

My babies are growing up so fast

So Sooty, Smudge, Ebony and the gang are now 3 weeks old! I looked at the calendar this morning and realised how fast they've grown - and they are so much bigger - and hoovering through their chick crumb.
They appear to be 2 types...there are 4 quite big plain black ones and the other 5 are a mix of black and white - possibly got some Plymouth Barred Rock in them - we shall see.
By the way, they are inside our house, given the temperatures outside at the moment. This is endless amusement for both Phoebe and Luke, of course. We have a concrete floor in our 'sunken lounge' and the chickens are living in one corner now, which we've blocked off and they have layers of cardboard, newspaper and sawdust to keep them sanitary and a warm light bulb going 24/7 to keep their tiny bodies warm until all their feathers are grown.

This pic shows an amazing animal our Luke is. Is he waiting for them to fatten up? Does he think he's Mum? Are they friends? We are still trying to work it out. For hours he stands on the edge of that ledge, peering over extremely keenly. Now, when he has FOOD in front of him that he can't get to yet, he does what dogs do - he salivates in long slimy dribbles...yet he will do this looking at the babies thing all night and no salivation. Twice he has fallen in, because he was watching so intently, and no casualties. And one evening, when we were out for about 5 hours, I think I forgot to shut the door between him and the chickens properly and he was there standing on the edge when we got home - and I had a panic and counted them quickly, feeling quite surprised to note that there were still 9 chickens cheeping happily from their pen!