This is not a good week.  Another of my middleaged hens has gone.  This one was my favourite - a black Sussex.  Yesterday I was looking at her and thinking that she was looking very old although she was less than half the age of the remaining bantam.  Today she is gone. That is three hens gone this week. None were showing any signs of being ill so at least they all had a peaceful end.

The chicks are growing apace.  They have all put on between a third and a half of their body weight in the last week.  It is a good thing that their skin is stretchy!  And they have all their pin feathers at the end of their wings already.  In fact, on Friday, I watched two of them fly from one end of their box to the other.  I am absolutely fascinated to watch these little creatures grow and conquer little challenges.  It is all happening so fast.  I am going to be really upset if they all turn out to be male...