FOR THE BIRDS

Go to my favorite thread if you have a "smart chicken" story to share:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/549678/whats-the-smartest-thing-youve-seen-a-chicken-do

Our home came with chickens

A few years ago my husband and I moved to Michigan and bought a home that was for the birds.  I mean the place was literally designed for birds because the previous owner bred a variety of birds and had built all sorts of enclosures for them.  He specialized in water fowl, but there were free ranging chickens that came with the home.  They were said to be a mix of Old English Game and so called Red Jungle Fowl.

They were independent and not interested in human attention, then we decided to hand raise some chicks so they would be used to people.

We Let broody mama raise some more, too.

Our OEG brood grew up--some were friendly, others were feisty.

Fiona raiser her own brood

Orville and Wilhemina grew up to make a fine flighty couple.

(The name "Wilbur" didn't work for a hen.)

Our coop chickens

We were now officially hooked on chickens and decided we wanted some other breeds.  We ordered eggs to incubate some Cochins, Buff Orpingtons and Golden Laced Wyandotte.

Guess who turned grew up to be Miss Bossy Pants of the coop.

Ruby is an OEG and RSL? mix as a young cockerel.

RubyRoo and the BOs and the Cochins got a coop.

I can't forget Ferdi (short for Ferdinand) our intrepid explorer (Miss Bossy Pants).

My husband became quite the chick magnet.

Silke and Siegfried, our naked neck silkies (or Showgirls), came from the Frankenmeuth, MI Fowl Fair.

Roosters and more roosters

Colin and Seamus grew up to be gentle Cochin roosters

Augie and Rascal developed into sweet Buff Orpington roosters

They had too much testosterone to stay with the hens, so they got a bachelor coop.

The bachelor roosters get along well

Colin says, "Am I not a distinguished rooster?"

Rascal wonders about all this white stuff

Rascal questions if Siegfried is a rooster, too.