The Chick Feed

We got 4 more chickens today! More precisely, we got these day old chicks, One is hiding, so cute! We wanted Brahams again, to replace the roosters we had to re-home. Fingers crossed that there are no boys in this group. Brahams have feathered legs, are docile, and large chickens. We got one Light Brahma and one Buff Brahma.  The other breed we chose are Cochins. They too have feathered legs and feet. They don't lay a lot of eggs, only 2-3 a week. We wanted to add them to our flock because they are  docile, easy-going, and pet-like.  We're still working on their names. We'll continue the flower-theme, but wanted to meet the chickies before giving them their names. Stay turned for the naming of chickens 7, 8, 9, and 10.  Since it is colder outside than the last time we got chicks, we are housing them in the basement rather than the screened in porch. Honey-bunny heard the little cheeps and began sluething.  She needs a little more practice;

Egg-citing Days Daisy layed the first egg, followed a few days later by Violet.  The chickens layed 16 eggs in 13 days. As the days have gotten longer and warmer in March, the chickens have layed 105 eggs! There are usually 4-6 eggs in the coop each day. While many people say their chicken lay their eggs in the early morning, our girls take after their keepers and often lay in the late morning to early afternoon. We aren't morning people in this house.  Opening the egg boxes each day is like a surprise party. How many eggs will there be? What colors will we find? Check out these beauties, Our first dozen Daisy and Forsythia lay pinkish-brown eggs. We get one blue egg and one blue-green egg from Violet and Petunia; we haven't figured out who is producing which color. Myrtle's eggs are brown with speckles. Marigold's egg are truly spectacular, check it out:

Do birds of a feather really flock together? While the chickens do pair off, go solo, and hang out with the flock, they often do seek their same kind. They seem to have a connection, a way of being in sync. Check out Marigold and Myrtle: Judges' scores? 10 10 10 Look at that? A perfect score!

What's the Line-up? After a heck of a lot of pecking and squawking, we have order. Well at least for today we do. Violet is the leader. She enjoys eating every treat first, running at the head of the flock, and sitting on your lap. Petunia's on deck. She is still the smallest chicken, but she is a force. She loves to forge for bugs, chase Violet, and run around the coop. Daisy is literally up next. She is our cuddle-bunny, taken the place of our beloved Brahmas. Daisy likes to follow us around as well as perching on shoulders and heads! Myrtle's 4th in the batting order. She is the den mother. Myrtle Mum is the first in the coop at dusk and then comes down the ramp clucking to round up the stragglers. She inspects the inside of the coop when I turn over the straw. Forsythia is a beauty. She doesn't usually hop on our laps, but does let you pick her up. She coos in response to whistling. Don't be fooled, she's a spitfire. She's

Drum roll please.... We got an egg yesterday! We think it is Daisy's. Hi Beautiful!

Cock-a-Doodle-Doo I was turning over the straw under the chicken coop when I heard it. Thankfully Scott was out in the yard too so he knew just which one did it.   This one. On New Year's Eve. 19 weeks old. What the $%#! Noooooo, is what I wanted to shout. This wasn't supposed to be happening at 19 weeks! From what we'd read, by 8-12 weeks you'd know if there was a rooster in the hen house. I emailed pictures of Lily to the hatchery, but with the holiday we didn't hear back right away. I also snapped a picture of Verbena. I say snapped because to be honest, I'd been having trouble telling the two of them apart for the past month. So while Scott was holding Lily, I went in search of Verbena. I didn't have to look far, she was right behind me, looking at Lily in a puzzled way. See Verbena's puzzled look? The fact that I couldn't tell them apart should have been a clue as to what happened on New Year's Day. Yep, anoth