[gracie]

They were 2 weeks old yesterday, and growing before our eyes and getting more affectionate. As soon as I take the lid off their box Esmerelda is sitting on the edge of it before i have even put the lid down, so hubby is now making them a larger home. To hopefully last until they can go in the coop. Gone a bit cold now so think it will be a bit longer that i think before i will put them out.

Not yet of course, but is it better to get them used to no heat at night before then putting them outside. Just thinking ahead, just wanted to have a plan of attack. I imagine it would be too much of a shock if not for them to go to no heat outside  from heat inside. Though, their coop has actually been insulated this morning.

Have attached photos so you can see how they are growing. So far we have achieved what we wanted in having babies as they are becoming so used to us and our 8 year old is very good at handling them. However I will reserve judgement when we find out who the cocks are, and whether we find it too distressing to give them back.

[Squiggly]

Lovely pics! The chicks look adorable and its great they are so friendly 

Can I ask how long it took for them to become friendly? We've had ours 5 days now (this is the fifth day) and they still run away shouting lol 

I know its early days I just wondered around what time yours became friendly? And how often you handle them? Im always afraid of keeping them away from their heat for too long   

I imagine it will be hard to give the boys back, Im going to find that bit hard too, especially if the one we nursed back to health is a boy 

Do you know what age you'll be able to sex yours?

[gracie]

I didnt bring them home until they were a week old, they were at the school i work at for the first week. I guess they would have been held quite a bit by a few people but not for long periods.
We have got the chickens primarily as pets, so we are handling them a bit to get them used to us. I guess the two white ones became friendly within a couple of days. Esmerelda is on my knee within a minute of me squatting beside the box. I tend to spend time with them 3 times a day, when i clean the box, home from work and before bed. I make sure I hold each one every time, as some are friendlier than others but they are all getting better.
I dont know why really as Im told its not cruel but I am going to try not to clip their wings, so i  am hoping if they are really chummy with us they wont want to go far. At the first time of them getting in any danger I  shall be wing clipping though.
If yours arent that tame yet, initially I got my son to just hold his arm in the box, mainly because he was nervous and i didnt want him to drop one and also so they wouldnt feel threatened. It seems to have worked a treat for us.
Not sure about the sexing, I know there is a Maran parent, legbar and not sure of the other, though not certain of the mix as there were cocks and hens of both i believe. Combs are starting to grow, I noticed one seems to have longer hair developing on its head and the one i am sure is a maran has shorter feathers than the others, though I dont know if thats a breed thing rather than sex.
I had a 100w ruby bulb that blew on the first day I left them at a week old and used a 60w fireglow that night as it was all I had, so i kept listening to see if they were noisy due to being cold but they were fine, they are in the utility room though.  The next day they were moving about well and not distressed noisy so we have kept with the 60w bulb and have seen no signs of them being cold. If they had gone in the garage as was initially intended not so sure i would have been so happy with only the 60w, but guess you have to watch and listen and they will let you know.

[Squiggly]

Luckily my Cochins will be too big and lazy to need their wings clipping (from what Ive heard anyway) and my silkies don't bother either but maybe my Araucana's might need it.

Im sort of looking forward to when I can sex them so I can sort out who definitely has to go back and then pick from the others, but on the other hand its nice having them all around at the moment   no chance Id keep the lot of them though......my other half needs them introduced a couple at a time he wont notice then lol