Tuesday, July 29, 2008

16. Curious and Curiouser...

The mix-up with the black feathered chicks just doesn't end!
What we thought were four Black Star turned into three Cuckoo Marans and one that we hoped was a Black Star, but we are still not sure.

As the chicks have grown, the three we swapped seem different than what McMurray's Hatchery describes as Black Star. Along with our order, three other families combined together into a giant shipment of 50 chicks. At a day old, who knows what any of the little feathered hoppers are?? Remember how small they were? Based on the order placed, the mystery chicks could be Jersey Giants or Black Minorcas.

Now left with chicks we have lovingly named and cared for these past three months, we can't really trade again.

Or so I thought!
Monday morning I woke up at dawn to...you guessed it... crowing. Not loud, and not a full Cock-A-Doodle-Doooo! But the very beginning of a Rooster's crow came from inside our coop. Uh oh.....

Question is: Which is the Roo?
Can you tell?
We all have our guesses, and I dare say the truth might just be in the picture above after all (click it for a larger view).


I have set my alarm for 5:45am. I hope to catch the deceiver in action!


UPDATE:
Below is my 5:45am sneaking video capture!



I couldn't see into the coop since it was dark, but I got the sound!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

15. Lily and the Chicks.

Lily meets the chickens in the wilds of the yard...



We think Peeps, the big black one that confronts her, just might be a rooster! We will find out for sure in October when the potential crowing starts (at 4:30am!).