Posted by on May 8, 2013 in Backyard Brood, Blog, Featured Post | 122 comments

For the last few weeks we’ve been intellectually aware that five chickens now live among us. But up until this past week, it’s been sort of possible to pretend that they’re wee bits of feathered fluff running around, sweet songbirds who peep and eat and sleep and that’s about it. No longer! At three weeks old, these chickies are still pretty wee, but they’re asserting their chicken-ness in looks and attitude.

3weeks3

That is one feisty, fluffy lady!

3weeks11

Expanding on last week’s theme there are, of course, the feathers.

3weeks8

Tail feathers, wing feathers—including flight feathers—are sprouting up all over, making their bodies big and puffy. Stretch those wings!

3weeks10

New feathers come in stages, and the girls spend a lot of their free time preening themselves and dust bathing in the pine shavings, trying to loosen up the casings on their newly-grown pinfeathers.

3weeks13

…but some of them have an easier time of it than others! Oh punky Polish. I can’t decide if you’re clueless or couture.

3weeks6

The fuzz remaining on the top of the other ladies’ noggins is keeping them young-looking and sparrow-like for now, but even that is being encroached on by the appearance of teeny tiny combs.

3weeks7

And the feet! Huge scaly feet, in greenish gray and yellow. Makes you remember that birds are closely related to dinosaurs. The funny part is that despite looking like that, their feet are soooo warm.

saturdaymorning

Which is nice, because really, they’re still not too big to cozy up with mom on a Saturday morning. 🙂