…..light.
The beautiful blue splash maran hen that I bought several months ago in order to get the dark chocolate colored eggs they produce, and which turned out to be a rooster instead of a hen….
……has done a fine job of breeding with my Austrolops. When I realized she was a he, I hoped that breeding him might pass the almost-black-egg-gene along.
I successfully had two hatchlings a few weeks ago, and like a good mama, I placed them under the red heat lamp in the coop. The chicks need to be kept warm until they are fully feathered (which takes anywhere from 4-6 weeks).
It was my understanding that chickens don’t SEE the light produced by a red bulb, but….for the last three weeks the rooster has crowed at night. All night. Every night. It’s like a dripping faucet, but not as regular so it’s even more annoying.
Cock a doodle. DOO. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Pause. Cock a doodle. DOO DOO DOO DOO. Pause.
I am on a ten day stretch at work, and between the long days and lack of sleep, I am getting distinctly crabby. (Yes, even more than usual.)
So, I looked at the chicks yesterday. They have almost tripled in size. They are fully feathered except for their heads….they have a feather duster “mommy” that they sometimes huddle under. So I pulled the plug, and turned off the heat lamp.
And last night there was blessed silence. Well, until 5am, anyway when the sky started to lighten.
I checked them this morning, and the chicks are fine.
Next clutch that hatches will be raised in the house!
KODAK Digital Still Camera
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