Chicks at three weeks

[game_byrd]

There's a reason why with the last batch of chicks, I took a few pics of them tiny and then never again. It's because the tiny, fuzzy, adorable little babies quickly turn into fairly ugly, half-feathered toddlers who remain uncomfortably 'in between' helpless peepers and aggressive teenage chickens for quite a long time. Despite the feathers, these

Comments

[nrrrdy_grrrl]

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!

[quirky_thoughts]

They've really grown a lot already but I kinda love their gawkyness...dear little things.

Once they've grown up do they have any natural predators? I know someone close by who's just lost all their 7 hens to a fox. It killed and dragged all of them off! They were allowed to run free in the garden, so I suppose that's a bit of a risk.

[game_byrd]

Yes, they have a lot of natural predators. Hawks during the daytime and owls at night. Then skunks, who have the odd habit of biting off the head of the chicken and eating it, but leaving the rest of the body untouched. Possums will eat smaller chickens, although mainly they eat eggs. Coyotes take the place of foxes around here and will eat several a day if you don't watch carefully. Dogs are a big danger, too, whether feral or simply loose. Like possums, cats will go after smaller chickens, but usually leave the full size ones alone

[quirky_thoughts]

Damn...I thought I'd replied to this. I suppose thinking about it and not writing it doesn't count! lol

That's an awful lot of predators you have to contend with. I suppose it's a bit of a trade off letting them roam free instead of being inside all the time. They have a good life though, even if a more dangerous one.

I've aways felt the same with the cats I've owned and had a cat flap so they could come and go as they pleased. Some have been hit by cars and killed or injured but at least they were being allowed to live a more natural life.