Playing Chicken
We’ve had a lot of fun so far watching the chicks do their chicken things. I immediately noticed the difference in temperament between the Leghorns and the RI Reds. I try to pick up and handle the chicks frequently so they get used to me. The Reds will just stand there and let me slide my hand under them to pick them up. The Leghorns run away as fast as they can, peeping all the way.
I also noticed that the Leghorns are more adept to foraging. As soon as I put the new feeder in the box the Leghorns started scratching in the shavings for any food that had been scattered off the pie plate. The Reds all walked around the new feeder until one of them dared to put her head in one of the holes. The other chicks quickly followed.
One time one of the chicks fancied a particular piece of shavings and took off to a corner with it. As soon as the other chicks saw her running with something they all made chase. She fought for it but eventually it was dropped into all the other shavings and the game was forgotten.
My favorite part of watching the chicks is when they go to sleep. The chick will walk over under the drop light. Then slowly she just sort of deflates. Her eyes close and then her body slowly drops to the floor. Then her head droops in the same fluid motion until her beak is on the floor. If she’s warm enough, her wings will relax away from her body a little. There is nothing cuter than a sleeping chick. It’s funny that when the box has sleeping chicks that we find ourselves tip-toeing around the box, whispering and hushing the kids. It’s just as if we had eight sleeping babies. It’s fun and I’m loving it!!
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