Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Happy 1 Month Birthday!

Amelia and Fluffy turn 1 month old today and boy have they grown!  They have pretty much shed their baby down feathers and Amelia is starting to grow a comb (a little worrisome since we are still not 100% convinced that she is not a HE).  They are curious and silly, and overall a lot of fun.  I have to say, having now raised 2 chicks to teenagers, that it is extremely easy and very rewarding to see them grow up.

We have added a roosting perch, which you can see in the below picture. They love to jump onto and off, duck underneath, and of course perch on it.  I actually found fluffy sleeping, also known as roosting, on it, which is extremely grownup chicken behavior (ahh, they grow up so fast)!  Best of all, the roost offers great diversion and exercise to their daily routine.


Amelia at 1 month, still shedding her baby down
On the roost

The biggest challenge faced by the "girls" as we call them (whether they are or not, it is wishful thinking on our part), is that they are rapidly growing out of their custom drawer housing arrangement.  We moved them out of the penthouse before they were 3 weeks old, and now they are getting too big for their loft (one mesh drawer turned over on top of another).  So we are on the fast track to finish the outdoor chicken coop, paint it, and move them in this weekend.  

Fluffy at the food trough, where they spend most of their time.
We have since relocated the water so they don't poop in it while they are eating!

Stay tuned for an update on the move and more pictures!