Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Chicken Post

I love our chickens. We added four more to our flock this spring and they are finally establishing a new normal in the hen house. The young ones are learning about being chickens and exploring their surroundings.

There's Paloma, who has beautiful feathers and a very long neck. She has trouble navigating things like solar garden lamps...
She stood and pecked at this lamp one evening, expecting it to move out of her way. Then, when she finally maneuvered around it, she walked into a big dry weed and it scared her half to death. She's kind of flighty and delicate. Her tail feathers drop down instead of up and she seems to favor low, scud missile flying instead of walking and running. I thought she was going to be a Banty but she's too big. I'm not sure what she is.

Clarissa is our beauty. She's a Silver laced Wyandotte.There were two, but one died right after we got them. It's a shame this happen because she is a really good chicken and I would love to have had two of them. Maybe I will get another one next year.
Clarissa is a big, beautiful girl. Her feathers are so gorgeous that I think we should show her at the Cow Palace.
She and Paloma like to tease Annie, our cat. It's one of their favorite pastime. I think they're just curious. Annie likes to monitor the chickens, but she doesn't like them getting in her space.

Then there's "dark brown chicken with spots". (We haven't named her yet.)
She likes to go off on her own and investigate things. 
Even the water trough seems to fascinate her.
She was suppose to be a French Moran, but until she lays an egg, we won't know.  Morans lay dark brown, chocolate colored eggs. She doesn't look quite like any of the Moran varieties, but she's closer than any of the others. Maybe the feed store got some chicks in the wrong bins. I thought that Paloma was the Moran and she is obviously not. She might be half duck.
Then, even though the breeders try to cull the roosters from the herd of baby chicks... sometimes they sneak through.
This is Bonaparte. He's our new, little Bantam rooster. We had lots of names for him and I really liked some of them, but he's little and tough so Bonaparte it is. The Prospector calls him Bony.
I think he's going to be a good rooster. He seems to like his hens and even seems to have respect from the big, older ones.
Big Red Hen, our Roady, hangs around Bonaparte a lot.
I think she's in love.

The Americana's are choosing to feather dust in the middle of the driveway and ignore the newbies.
 They are just waiting it out...
...until the dust settles.
Squeek', our little banty hen of ten years, is trying to establish order and she pushes the new ones around a lot... but this may be a task that is too much for the old chicken. She is spending a lot of time in the chicken house...
...and at her age, we will let her doing anything she wants.


6 comments:

  1. I've never seen so many beautifully feathered chickens. I guess people around here don't get too exotic. LOL. Love your pictures.

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  2. I can't believe you have a ten year old hen!! how long can they live? Bony is bonnie...really sweet. I love bantys, especially the roosters...they really do have a short man complex and try to be so tough. Does he have a cute little crow? they make me miss our hens. I used to love watching all of their characteristics come out.

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  3. You have some beautiful chickens. The one with the spots on it is very unusual. Great photos. Have a blessed day. Madeline

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  4. Your "dark brown chicken with spots" is a Speckled Sussex; she will get more spots as she gets older. We have four; they haven't been the best layers, but I've heard others talk very enthusiastically about them.

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  5. I've lost my heart to Bonaparte, so regal and handsome! I have no idea what your little speckled hen is but she sure is cute! It will be fun watching their personalities develop. Let's hope Squeek can hold her own with all those youngsters. Hens can be cruel when they challenge the pecking order.

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  6. The dark brown hen with spots reminds me of the graniteware pans with all the speckles -- all very pretty!

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