There is a special kind of chaos that comes with holding a tiny, peeping dinosaur in your hands and realizing you have absolutely no idea how old it is. That is exactly where our feathered friend found themselves with these two fluffballs. At least six days old, with the black one already shedding baby feathers and tipping the scales at 77 grams while the yellow one trails at 64. It is a classic chicken-keeping mystery, and honestly? We are here for the detective work. This is the kind of wholesome puzzle that makes the backyard poultry life so egg-citing. It reminds us of the pure joy we saw in Six fluffy chicks have hatched—egg-cellent news from our feathered friends! or the sleepy cuddles from Tiny Marans Froment chicks are cluck-tastic, and currently napping!. But this post is different. This is a genuine "help me, I'm in over my head and I love it" moment.
Let's be real: the weight difference is actually a fantastic clue. That black chick is not just older; it is clearly thriving, which means whoever is caring for them is doing something right. The feather loss is another great sign, since that is a normal part of the awkward teenage phase of chickdom. Our take? Stop worrying about the exact hatch date and start celebrating the fact that you have two healthy, growing little raptors. We have all been there, squinting at a chick's wing feathers like we are reading tea leaves, trying to decode the secrets of their birth. It is a rite of passage. And honestly, the fact that you care enough to ask is what makes you a good chicken parent. You are not "chickening out" of the responsibility; you are leaning in, and that is what matters.
Here is the practical truth we would tell any reader who asked: age matters less than development. At 77 grams, that black chick is right on track for a standard breed, and the yellow one is not far behind. Watch for the next few weeks, because the real tell will be when those fluffy baby feathers give way to slick, shiny adult plumage. That is when you will know you have officially survived the awkward stage. And if you are worried about the size gap, do not be. As long as both are eating, drinking, and acting like tiny, grumpy dinosaurs, you are golden. We have seen this exact scenario play out in our own community, like with those Chickens Got Her Good! A Backyard Poultry Adventure, where the chaos is half the fun.
So here is our honest, cluck-tastic take: you do not need a birthday cake or a hatch certificate. You need a reliable scale, a keen eye, and a willingness to laugh when you realize you are googling "chick wing feather growth chart" at midnight. The real question is not "how old" but "how are they growing?" And from the looks of it, the answer is pretty darn well. Keep an eye on that black one, because once those feathers really start coming in, you will blink and suddenly have a teenager who thinks it runs the place. That is the fun part. And that is the detail to watch: not the date on the calendar, but the moment you realize you have officially been adopted by a couple of feathered maniacs.
