so there a week old

yup the new gals are a week old today, the "old" gals are 2 weeks, its pretty amazing to see the difference. Pictures later, i promise!

the 2 week olds are beginning to enter the dinosaur stage...that stage where they have some feathers and thier fluff is loosing its fluffiness so they look like some strange creatures from a time gone by...
there getting active now too, milly particularly has taken to hopping onto of the feeder and from there she was hopping right out of the brooder...
quick fix on that one i might add, the walls are now about 12" higher...though it wont hold them for long lol.

the 1 week olds are getting their wing feathers in quickly too, there active and a little crazy, i need to start spending more time with each of them individually again...
this week has been so hectic pet sitting for my frined though...im hoping i havent missed crutial bonding stages!

yes you can bond with chickens!!!

im thinking today im going to have to rig up the playpen instead of the box, the bigger ones realy need a roost now and im sure a little extra room woundt be a bad thing for them, just have to figure out rigging for the light.
id love to move them to the main living area now there a little bigger, just so they get more used to people comming and going, but im not sure if i can rig up a strong enough roof for the playpen to keep the cat out, who would either go 1 of 2 ways...eat them, or run away from them.
theres no real way to rig the lamp up upstairs either without moving a bunch of stuff and blocking a path way so id need to get creative there too...would be better for them to be in the center of the action though...
ill have to see what i can rig up with chicken wire and timber scraps to make the playpen kitty proof and go from there i think...

tomorrow 3 of the new girls go to their new homes, 2 silverlaced and nugget the golden, weve decided to keep 2 of the easter eggers instead of 1 ee and the gold laced...its ok though because there going to a good home :)
and while 3 less may not seem like alot, thats more space for the remainders in the brooder :)

have i mentioned they are PIGGIES, i swear ive never seen such tiny things eat so much. im refilling the chick feeder twice daily now! and messy...lol. they keep kicking shavings into their water no matter how many times i scoop it all out and no matter what tricks ive tried to keep them out lol.

all in all though they are adorable!