The chicks are 2 weeks old tomorrow. All are doing well, Conch is now part of the chick family having lost all special privileges assigned to the infirm! In fact it's a case now of 'Where is Conch (Waldo)?' I'm hoping to have some more chicks hatch in less than 10 days, that hatch won't have so many, I hope to have at least some. They are the Dominiques and some of their eggs can be a little small, so we will see. All I want to do is perpetuate the breed as they are supposed to be fairly rare.
Bronzo - the father of the new chicks and Barry the nest-shitter of the Dominiques are both very aggressive and are currently on death row being fattened up for the pot. That will be a whole new thing, and interestingly a full circle! We'll have brought new life in and taken life too. The sad thing is if these bad boys were not aggressive we would let them stay for a while, but they won't even let me feed them without special attention - like making a hole in the wire so they can't get at me!
When it comes time, they will all probably make the pot, but our feeling is they should be given a life first. They get to be out in the sunshine (or snow - which ever season it is) they breathe fresh air, they get good food & they love dandelions, which we have an abundance of, and when the day comes they will leave the happy place for the chicken coop in the sky, or on our table. That's what it is about. But currently, the eggs are good!
This picture is of the chickens - spot Conch. (He's the one in the corner with his back to you leaning over another - the one on the right of the 2)