on chicken and the flow of life

Part of the flock. Clockwise from my husband: Mag (Seed), Fagyi (Icecream) and two other chicks, Roo, Hajas (Hairy, the brooding hen), Lepke (Butterfly), an unnamed black chick, Felhő (Cloud) and Caramel, the only brown one among the kiddy chicks.

The kids are occupied. This is one of their flying lessons. The hen is encouraging her babies to follow her up. All, but two followed her - after some or some more hesitation. The smallest two took a detour on foot instead.The chicklets have reached the ripe old age of 4 weeks. Here they are! Most of them are black-ish. There are two who have the definite barred pattern. They are Mag (Seed) and Egér (Mouse). The one with the black head is called Korom (Inky). There are two with a white-ish plumage. One of them is completely white (Fagyi-Icecream), the other has darker colors on its back (Gombóc - Ball).

This is a close-up of Fagyi (Icecream). Note the big comb. This might indicate that it is a rooster. Also note that the baby cream-yellow color has almost completely gone. It's turning white day day the day. He is a wandering type, drifting further from his mother and his fellows than the rest. He's my son's favourite chicken.

And just at the very same day, we had a second hatch in 2007. The 'mother' of this litter is Sas (Eagle), who was introduced a mere two month ago into our henyard. This time we bought fertilized eggs from a local Research Insitute for Small Animals. We bought 13 Turken eggs. And we added one egg of the late Hógolyó (Snowball), whom we had to slaughter for bad skin condition. She (Snowball) was Roo's favourite mate and her back was bare and sore. Unfortunately we had no chance to separate her from the rooster - but even if we had, her skin would have been just as much exposed when we had put her back among the flock again...so, with aching heart, we sent Hógolyó over to the heavenly meadows...

But one of her eggs was a promise for a continuation...

During brooding, some of the eggs have broken. And finally the day came and here they are! The golden one, as you know will turn white and since his/her neck is covered it is the kid of Hógolyó. Therefore its name: Hópehely (Snowflakes).

Unfortunately enough, there were only two other chicks that reached hatching age - the others all died within the egg. The reasons? Unexperienced hen? Too many eggs under a hen? Time will tell - we are gaining experience as well... this image is of an unborn chicklet. Note how compactly it is folded within the egg...

We showed the unborn to our kids, who studied it with care and respect... here's my son imitating the position of a chick within the shell.

But those that are alive are smart Turkens.

I suppose one is black and the other will be a barred one.

Snowflakes is thick and yellow, like a ball. One, a potential black Turken is under Eagle's head and beak and the third is the barred one. Those tiny caps of feather make these Turkens so adorable.