A New Pecking Order

Wow. I can't believe it's only been a month since chickens have enhanced our lives. I must have spent hours watching our chicks grow, reading poultry books, and lurking on the Backyard Chickens forum. We've added to our flock:
On March 7, two easter egger chicks from the Country Feed Store...Wendy & Lisa. I engineered a brooder out of my dachshund's crate, duct tape, and some Amazon boxes. They lived there under a heat lamp for about a week until they were big enough to join the bigger chicks.


On March 30, we drove to Crawfordville and got 1 sultan (Kissy Suzuki) and 2 Belgian bearded d'Uccle chicks (Smurfette & Miss Moneypenny), all 4 weeks old. I found them on Craig's List!

So that makes 11 chicks - 9 bantams and 2 standards. The cochins are at the top of the pecking order, followed by the polish, the easter eggers, and then the newest chicks.
This weekend we have to exchange Apollonia, who has grown up to be quite a pretty cockeral at 8 weeks old.

Her wonky crest was actually that slicked-back polish rooster look, which actually looks really nice now. We were sure she was a he when it bravely did not flinch when the dogs pounced at the coop fencing to get at them, even having a staring contest with my dachshund -- inches from his face!