The Great Chicken Adventure: 1 Month Old

Well time flies, and that's a fact. My chickens are already a whole month old - and you can tell their age by how much they've grown. Ive spent several hours the past week engaging them. They've become friendly and curious. I have one chicken that is completely comfortable sitting on my knee. He likes his chin being rubbed and his feathers stroked. He's the bravest, and he shows it off to his coop-mates by the way he stands up so proudly on my knee and makes these cluck/peeping noises. The roosters are by far more bold than the hens, from what I can see. The males are making themselves known by the lovely red combs that they are developing on the tops of their heads, and by the red beards that are starting in on the bottom of their chins. They all get quite excited when you twirl heads of hay between your fingers, they all come and chase it till they can get it from me. Then they take off running, with the others chasing trying to steal the hay from whoever has it. Its like a game of football! (If Ive said it once, Ive said it a hundred times - "who needs tv?"). Some more developments have been made within the coop. I have one heat lamp completely off and the temperature is fine for them. I will have to upgrade to a larger feeder by next week - as they are getting so large they really crowd around it. I have painted the outside of the coop, a nice grey blue, because that was what I found in the garage. I have to paint the trim still and that will be white. The poor chickens will be put to the back burner as soon as the planting begins - then it will be morning and night chores, and that's it!

This is my friendly rooster (he might stick around to service the coop in the fall)

Family photo

Playing with the seed heads on the hay

Here you can see the beard and comb growing in - and that makes him a rooster!