Eight Days Old   As this picture shows, the youngster's feathers are beginning to grow in, especially along the wings and the spine. These incipient feathers are known as 'pin-feathers', or sometimes, simply as 'pins'. They do make a chick look rather like somebody has been using him for a pincushion in their spare time! It's hard to imagine the beauty that will unfurl from these odd-looking little creatures, in just a few short days.

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