Another Only chick!

So glad. They have different mamas but will grow up together.

This little chick got off to a tough start. I found her in the middle of the Silkie greenhouse after breakfast, peeping at the top of her lungs (which is quite loud). I popped open the coop and nudged all the sitting hens, to see who would accept this chick. Apples did, and the chick burrowed right in. Phew, crisis averted.

Then I moved them out together to a box and chickery to start chickergarten together.

I’m skeptical about Apples’ ability to parent. She’s a bit dim-witted, or near-sighted, or something, I’m not sure. She’s not very aggressive/protective and she spent the first couple days doing more sitting inside the box, still half broody, than doing chick instruction. And the chick is very needy and quick to scream. She had pasted butt, which I think I’ve only ever seen once in a hen-raised chick, and is a sign of stress.

Things improved somewhat when I put them outside. She’s clucking, and scratching.

They got exposed to the community.

Meanwhile the first chick of 2020, a few days older, has a very large world, already coming and going from the greenhouse, interacting with all the big birds, and is very quiet. She had a rather ideal hatching and Little Mama is a force to be reckoned with.

Yesterday I raised up a side of the chickery, like I do so they can begin to adventure forth, but still have the familiar box and refuge to return to.

The chick was freaking out at the disruption, and all of a sudden, Little Mama was in the chickery with us, wings flared, rushing and spearing ME, because I was clearly threatening a chick. She had streaked across the yard to get involved. She’s a crazy fierce one, too. So this second chick should be ok. I predict Little Mama will adopt daily duties as soon as they are both at large together for awhile.

One thing Apples is good at is snuggling. She’s very calm. Today was rainy so the two were at large inside the greenhouse for the first time. The chick can be running around screaming and Apples doesn’t respond until it’s right next to her cheeping, but she’s always ready for a warming. So she’s likely to manage to keep it alive.