Happy breezes right past the food and bites my hand instead. And the chicks I introduced the other day have gotten this big! (I told you not to get in the food. Maybe I should have planned this shot better.)
Komugi and Koishi
Let’s find Komugi. Here! Komugi has feathers all over now and looks like a real chicken. And Komugi’s friend Koishi… where? There! That’s Koishi — and now Komugi has vanished. Not this one… ah, there. Komugi and Koishi. Koishi is turning black. Nice!
Ouch! Please stand by. Instead of big tears, a big kernel of corn — a direct hit to my eyeball.
Growing up fast
This one with the muddy feet is probably the biggest chick we have right now. It’s almost the same size as this one, which used to be the biggest and is a lot older. And the chick that was born premature and went bald? Totally bald — just kidding, not bald at all. It has turned out splendid! It came from the same place as ragged Niji, and their faces look very alike. Please don’t wipe your feet on my head.
No tail at all
The bald chick’s sibling, also from the chicken trapping site, was born without a tail. It’s not that the feathers aren’t growing in: as chicken keepers probably know, there’s a little nub here where the tail grows from, and this chick doesn’t have one. See? Smooth. At most, three poop-covered feathers. At first I thought it had been pecked bald and worried it might weaken and die, but there’s simply no tail. It’s looking at me like, “Oh, really?” But it’s healthy.
This one, from the egg-laying mix caught around our place, looks like Pog, who already lives with us — same color and pattern. Must be the local genes. (Pog isn’t here.) Ow, my eyes — please stop throwing food at me and jumping at my face.
Big and small
These two are the same age: the biggest and the smallest. The big one is hungry and demanding to be let go — not yet! Look at the difference in feet and heads; standing up, the big one is about twice the size. They aren’t siblings. Among the siblings, the biggest and smallest are probably siblings with different fathers, which I think explains their totally different sizes.
For now, males and females are all mixed together. The rooster fights haven’t quite started, but there are plenty of obvious roosters. I don’t know what will happen, but grow up properly! (Hey, I’m being attacked.) I’ll introduce them again when they’re bigger.
Thank you for watching Chicken Paradise! See you in the next episode.