The Adventures of 10 Tiny Chicks!

The chicks are beginning to grow feathers on their wings. They are enjoying stretching the wings out and giving them a flap. Occasionally they try and fly a little bit in the box (unsuccessfully!) The poorly chick is feeling a bit better but has had to have another bathe today. He behaved very well and I think he may be enjoying the attention and warm water. All the chicks like a cuddle but only for a few minutes and then they rush back into a little group and look after each other. They need their box cleaned out twice a day as their feet are getting quite messy and we don’t want a smelly chick box in the house!

Today the chicks have been enjoying treats. They have tried bread crumbs, lettuce, banana, apple and blueberry. The blueberry was not very popular. One chick had a little peck of it and then went back to the group and it hasn’t been touched by any of the chicks since. I wonder if he told the others it wasn’t very tasty. Feeding time is an exciting time for the chicks and they move very quickly when they hear the chick crumb on the floor. Their box and run is very dirty in the video and needs cleaning out. Don’t worry tho as that’s my next job. I clean them out twice each day and wash the bowl. They are very messy at the moment. As soon as I put down clean newspaper and sawdust they like to mess it up quickly. Cheeky little chicks!

What an exciting day the chicks have had. They had their first car journey and travelled to Bourne Abbey School. They spent the day with the Key Worker children and were very well behaved. They are getting very big now and don’t like being in their brooder box unless they are asleep. The male chicks are not as happy to be held and are very wriggly. I have to be careful holding them as they try to fly away! Their wings are almost all feathers. The males are more developed than the females. They are still enjoying their chick crumb food and get very excited when they hear the food bag opening.

The chicks have become very active and are definitely beginning to understand that they have wings and they can be used! We are having to be very careful with them as they are trying to fly and a few of the boys are showing an interest in escaping the box! In the video the chick I was holding decided he didn’t want to be held any longer and wriggled out my hand. Don’t worry tho he was fine and they are often jumping on top of each other. They really are cheeky characters. They have great personalities and are fascinating to watch. Unfortunately we now have to say goodbye to the chicks as having them at home (or school) would be unkind to them. They need a bigger enclosure and to learn about life on a farm. The Clarke family will be rehoming them to their small-holding and will ensure they are well cared for. They will send us updates to let us know how they are getting on and I will make sure your teacher shares these with you. I hope you have enjoyed learning about chicks along with me. I have definitely enjoyed it and learnt a lot.