The chicks who stay on the farm eventually join one of three flocks, and last week, five 7 week old hatchmates moved to the Polish flock. All girls this time, three bantam Rhode Island reds from Quebec eggs, a farm bred Polish and a Sumatra X Polish.

I have found that seven or eight weeks is a good age for chicks to join a flock, they’re too young to disrupt the pecking order, but old enough to look after themselves pretty well. Moving is stressful, so I always make sure they have at least one buddy.

I think the Polish chick is going to make an awesome mama some day. Look at her with her wing around the little Rhodey on the end. She does this every night, what a good big sister.