Teenagers and toddlers

These 4 teenagers were born on July 21, making them about 6 weeks old in this pic I just took today. They were imprisoned with their adopted mom until August 5, for about about 2 weeks. I thought I could introduce them to a bigger crate on the floor of the coop and close them up in there at night, but they were not interested. Mom had them out and about in the yard the very next morning. 

It is hard to catch a photo of all 4 plus the mom, as they are feeling all grown up and wandering the property, but she does still do her best to still keep them all together. I am pretty sure that 3 of them are roosters. The smaller one with the black head could be a hen, but with our luck, a roo too.

 

This mama was found sitting on 11 of her own eggs tucked under a wooden pallet next to the garage (far from the coop). I managed to coax her and her eggs into a small crate so I could lock them up at night and keep them safe from critters. She hatched these 4 on August 19. Unlike the others that were contained in a larger crate all day and night for 2 weeks, these guys (I HOPE they aren't all guys) had some freedom during the day in a larger enclosed space by the garage. I carried them out to the coop on Wednesday night. Mama kept them inside the coop for a couple of days, and then just yesterday she brought them all the way back here to the house. (This photo is from today, back at the house again.)

I was a little worried she wouldn't be able to get all 4 tucked in the coop last night while we were out playing and singing with Tom and Roberta, but we got home around 10 pm and there they were, all safe and sound.

As Maryellen would say "Yay for that!"