Chicken Blog Pats Chicken Flock

Here are the original three that got me hooked in the first place -- ISA Brown sex-link pullets from the local feed store. Got them just as 'utility animals' for eggs, but then I discovered what interesting and personable creatures chickens are. Who knew!

From left to right, here, you've got Maryanne, Matilda, Marigold, and part-time auxiliary chicken Harry (then age 3). [Unfortunately, they have all died, weirdly young, of internal laying: Matilda on November 17, 2007, Marigold on September 6 2008, and Maryanne on February 25, 2009. I don't know why.)

I mostly have Speckled Sussexes - not breeding for show or standard, just aiming at good-tempered birds that lay well and the cockerels reach a good size by 4-5 months. At the moment I've got a roo and 5 breeding hens from last year (also a crazy little Golden Campine hen, you can see just her legs in the photo below), plus some chicks growing up from this year's hatch.

That's Pants, my roo, at the front right there Not only is he handsome (not necessarily in a Standard of Perfection way, but, you know, just basically handsome ), he also takes great care of his girls. Mister responsible.
I have another pen of layers -- 3 Easter-eggers, 3 red sexlink chicks for Harry who was really missing the original three (he has named them 'Tree' 'Grass' and 'Person', for no obvious reason), and our very first chick from the homemade incubator, a sussex-campine roo named Peanut. I need to add a pic of them I guess.
This year I have also discovered turkeys. They are terrific! More curious and personable than chickens, and their noises are easier for me to imitate.

I have 3 dearly-beloved Broadbreasted Bronzes who will sadly have to go into hte freezer in a few weeks, which will be very difficult for me; but I have got an almost adult pair of Ridley strain unimproved Bronzes and will get some more next spring, so we can have some turkeys to *keep* as well as to eat. Two thumbs up on the whole turkey thing, though!

What else? Um... I live on 19 acres just north of Uxbridge, Ontario with husband Tim, 4 yr old son Harry, and 1 yr old son John. Also four house cats. Oh, and three horses - a retired Thoroughbred, a retired Lipizzaner cross, and another Thoroughbred doing basic dressage stuff. Also six aquarium fish. Plus all those darn mice in the basement and barn. And how about those mosquito's, they're almost big enough to saddle up and ride eh? And several fugitive raccoons in the barn loft. Er, I think that's about it right now for animals. Probably more chickens next year, though. Definitely more chickens next year