Now just 4

First day of freedom with all 5 chicks: 3 dark ones, 1 sort of dark with light head, and 1 blondie behind the water jar.
Mom is hiding too, behind the feeder.

The 4 remaining chicks out for a stroll with mom. 2 crazy girlfriends in the background. They still spend most of the day in the same nest box sitting on eggs that aren't there any more. The stripey B&W one is the one I tried in with the chicks before black mom. She didn't work out too well in her new job...

We freed the mom hen and 5 chicks from the crate on Sunday. She had broken the last 2 eggs she was sitting on, and now she is able to keep an eye on the babies. I should have waited another day because we went to a concert Sunday night (John Pizzarelli) and were not here to check on them. I had them still barricaded inside the coop on the floor where I had set up a new crate, but when we got home around 10 p.m., they had all escaped the barricade and mom had them huddled in the corner. All 5 survived.

Yesterday, they were free to run around outside in the grass (weeds). Last night, mom got them back in the coop, but still wasn't interested in the crate. Only 4 survived. I am not sure what happened, but one of the dark chicks was dead, partially underneath the crate when Husband went out there. :(

Now that I can see them in these photos close up, I think the remaining 2 dark ones are from Golden Laced hens, the one with the white head is probably from a Barred Rock, and the golden one could be from a red hen, but really not sure. I think he is going to be a rooster as he is bigger and feistier than the rest.

We will just have to wait and see. Stay alive little chickies! Your mom is doing her best to protect you. And so are we.

Enjoying our freedom!