Peeps

The little monsters are growing like weeds.  Today was Marek's vaccination day.  It looks easier to do than it actually is.   The peeps are soooo tiny.

At six days old their wing feathers are starting to come in and I'm getting a hint of how they will look.   The splash marans peeps vary from soft buttercream color to heavier blue penciling. 

Splash Marans peep showing light penciling of wings.

Splash Marans peep with deeper blue in wings.

Leghorn cross with fuzzy cheeks.  I think this may be an EE cross too.

Mystery chick.

The daddy of my mystery chick is a silver duckwing leghorn roo but I have no idea who its momma may be.  I have one black australorp and one gold penciled black hen.   With the copper patch above this chick's eye, I'm leaning toward the gold penciled hen.

Happy Hatch Day

It seemed forever in coming but it eventually did -- Hatch Day.    I started with 34 eggs, set 27, locked down 20 and now I have ten peeps in the brooder.   On the assumption (from internet research) that serama eggs only take 19 days to hatch, I added those three days after the others.  None of them have pipped yet.   Since all of the hatchlings have been moved to the brooder, the incubator is going into another lock down in hopes that the serama eggs will still hatch.  In the meantime, enjoy the pictures!

First pip & zip

Almost there!

Finally made it.  Welcome to the world little chicken.

Fuzzy butts in the brooder.

Silver leghorn cross

I love when they suddenly fall asleep, even standing up.

No, not dead --- just soaking up the rays!

Pretty blue color on this blue splash marans chick.