I figured I ought to put up a bit of an update. My "baby chicks" are now looking distinctly more like young chickens and it looks like it's going to be 3 boys, 1 girl. Figures!

Sir Green Band Chick... who looks very much like his brothers, though they've all got varying amounts of black/redish colouring.

And the little miss! They're still all pretty sweet and tame and will accompany me on weeding sessions in the garden on the hunt for bugs which they quite enjoy.

The eggs I sent off are due sometime Monday/Tuesdayish hopefully and I'm really hoping all of them have made it. Cross your fingers everyone!

Silly Penny had started laying quite steadily, got to about 6 eggs, started acting clucky, I told her she better keep laying and not just sit on 6 eggs. Well... teach me to say something like that! She not only didn't keep laying but stopped sitting as well. X-) If she doesn't start laying again that will bring my season to (hopefully, cross fingers, knock on wood, rub a lucky horseshoe) 16 chicks which isn't the most spectacular number ever!

I'm also thinking of where to source more hens. I'm most inclined to go back to Jarrah and Penny's bloodlines and just get more that are at least somewhat related to them and owned by someone who knows the lines. The downside to that is that the old chap had sold out of his birds and is now in the process of building up his own numbers from some birds he reckons will take him a few years to work back up to par. My other option is to write to some of the breeders in my Wyandotte book, most likely in NSW and plan a trip up there if someone has some to sell or will put me on a waiting list or less ideally if I can at least get a couple dozen eggs of a good line which then of course means having to hatch them out and raise them up before choosing the best... a bit luck of the draw but may save me driving 16+ hours! So hard to know what to do!

And while not chooks, I thought the bird lovers among us might enjoy these guys, two of the local parrot population on our property.