We unfortunately lost another chick. Goldie Locks, our Gold Laced Wynandotte, did not make it. Although it was sad, it was less traumatic than Queen Elizabeth's passing, as Goldie Locks died of natural causes. We're not sure exactly what happened, but she was looking weak one morning, and when we came home from work she had died. We buried her next to Queen Elizabeth in the field next door.

We went to the feed store today and they gave us another one for free. They mentioned that they think her batch might have been weaker because of their shipping. Baby chicks are generally shipped from large hatcheries. Egg yolks contain enough sustenance to last a chick for the first 24 hours after hatching, without any additional food or water. Because of this, they are able to be shipped fairly easily when they are first born. Their temperature is moderated because the boxes are shipped with the chicks squished tightly together. (Some people regard this as cruel, but when you think about it, in the wild the chicks would be squished together underneath their mother. Even in our own box, they squish themselves together as tight as possible in the corner.) Usually, this process works well, but in some cases, if the shipment is delayed, the chicks suffer. The shipment that Goldie was in came later than it was supposed to, and as a result, that batch of chicks has been weaker, and has had more losses than usual.

I have been very nervous about this new little one, checking on her often during the day. Worried if she is warm enough, worried about whether the others will attack her (chickens aren't known for their hospitality to new comers). But so far so good. A moment ago I checked on her and she was nestled in with the rest of them. You can see how much the three older ones have grown!

In other news the coop is in process, and will hopefully be finished by tomorrow. Pictures to come soon. We will put the three bigger ones out right away, and when the younger ones are old enough, they will join them. Meanwhile, they'll stay inside in their box a little longer.