The Ugly "Chickling" Phase

I have always heard of "The Ugly Duckling". It's a literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. I'm vaguely familiar with the story, but the expression it coined has made its way into our vernacular. Most people have heard the term, even if they don't know where it originated.

The chickens are now three and-a-half weeks old, and now I know why they call it "the ugly duckling" (or "chickling", in this case) phase. Boy, are they ugly little guys (and gals)! They're half skin and half feathers, with some baby fluff still in there in spots. I can't wait for this stage to pass!