I have always had a love for chickens, I am not sure who or what I have to thank for that. I have raised several different breeds of chickens throughout my life, but as of April 2012 I became hooked on Silver Laced Wyandottes.
We got our baby chicks on April 1st of 2012. The chickens I had raised in the past I had never bonded with quite like these chicks. I got them when they were a day old, and they lived in my basement for close 2 months before we got their coop built outside. (We still find feathers every now and then!)
Raising them from practically birth was one of the most joyful experiences I have ever experienced in my life. It is very fulfilling to say the least!
So we got our coop finished in late May/Early June of 2012 and then it was time to move the girls out of the basement and into their new abode!
This is the girls in their awkward stage. Watching their plumage change each week as they grew was very intriguing. I never knew just like when we were in middle school, chickens as well truly have an awkward stage!
T
They grew up so quickly! I remember looking at them on several different occasions and asking myself "How much bigger are they going to get!" Even now when I look back at their photos as little bitties it bewilders me.
Our hen Petunia has crooked toes and a crooked Spine, and this was very alarming to us - until we realized. She does not have a clue she is any different, and she is not in any pain! We do not plan on letting her reproduce but she is enjoying her life, and my girlfriend has taken a special liking to this chicken, she's been dubbed "Princess Petunia."
Wanda has always been the first to take off into flight, but she also has the most beautiful lacing out of our bunch. She will fly up to a stranger that comes over and land right on their shoulder. She flies on top of our yard furniture. Her sisters walk everywhere they go and she almost always chooses to fly. I'm not sure what it is but she likes being in the air!
Wilma has always been the shy one, as far as allowing us to pet her or hold her. It's always been a "catch me if you can" game. Once we win and get a hold of her she acts as though our loving strokes and affection disgust her. (But we know deep down she loves it.)
And last but not least we have Wynonna. She has sort of been my favorite since birth. She would always sit in my hand, any even now she will walk right up to me and allow me to pet her or pick her up. She's also always been the biggest girl, and boy is she the first one to come when she sees a treat. I think she'd fight to the death for a sunflower seed or mealworm. She truly loves to eat.
As they have continued to grow their lacing has really come out! This is Wanda, she loves to fly up on the wooden fence and strut her stuff.
Once the vegetable garden practically died out due to the summer heat this became the chicken's territory. They have pretty much stripped the whole area of any vegetation. I'm not sure how they will take it next spring when we plant again and this becomes off limits.
Here is Wanda, again....always flying up on to something new.
Any time someone comes over to our house and see the chickens they always say. "Wow, I never knew Chickens could be so beautiful"
It always makes me chuckle...most people assume chickens come in white and yellow. They ask what kind of chicken are they and I tell them; "Silver Laced Wyandottes" and the response I usually get is "Wyan-wha?"
Here the girls are eating their 2 favorite treats, Watermelon & SCRATCH!
We got out first egg on August 28th 2012! And 4 hours later we found a 2nd egg! It was such a surprise to us, probably to the chickens as well. They didn't quite make it to the nesting boxes! Hopefully as they lay more and more the laying boxes are for.
Here are our first 2 eggs on the left, compared to a store bought Grade A Large Egg on the right. Raising our Silver Laced Wyandotte hens has been such a rewarding experience! They are the best pets we have ever had.
...AND YES! They DO make our breakfast.
We got our baby chicks on April 1st of 2012. The chickens I had raised in the past I had never bonded with quite like these chicks. I got them when they were a day old, and they lived in my basement for close 2 months before we got their coop built outside. (We still find feathers every now and then!)
Raising them from practically birth was one of the most joyful experiences I have ever experienced in my life. It is very fulfilling to say the least!
So we got our coop finished in late May/Early June of 2012 and then it was time to move the girls out of the basement and into their new abode!
This is the girls in their awkward stage. Watching their plumage change each week as they grew was very intriguing. I never knew just like when we were in middle school, chickens as well truly have an awkward stage!
TThey grew up so quickly! I remember looking at them on several different occasions and asking myself "How much bigger are they going to get!" Even now when I look back at their photos as little bitties it bewilders me.
Our hen Petunia has crooked toes and a crooked Spine, and this was very alarming to us - until we realized. She does not have a clue she is any different, and she is not in any pain! We do not plan on letting her reproduce but she is enjoying her life, and my girlfriend has taken a special liking to this chicken, she's been dubbed "Princess Petunia."
Wanda has always been the first to take off into flight, but she also has the most beautiful lacing out of our bunch. She will fly up to a stranger that comes over and land right on their shoulder. She flies on top of our yard furniture. Her sisters walk everywhere they go and she almost always chooses to fly. I'm not sure what it is but she likes being in the air!
Wilma has always been the shy one, as far as allowing us to pet her or hold her. It's always been a "catch me if you can" game. Once we win and get a hold of her she acts as though our loving strokes and affection disgust her. (But we know deep down she loves it.)
And last but not least we have Wynonna. She has sort of been my favorite since birth. She would always sit in my hand, any even now she will walk right up to me and allow me to pet her or pick her up. She's also always been the biggest girl, and boy is she the first one to come when she sees a treat. I think she'd fight to the death for a sunflower seed or mealworm. She truly loves to eat.
As they have continued to grow their lacing has really come out! This is Wanda, she loves to fly up on the wooden fence and strut her stuff.
Once the vegetable garden practically died out due to the summer heat this became the chicken's territory. They have pretty much stripped the whole area of any vegetation. I'm not sure how they will take it next spring when we plant again and this becomes off limits.
Here is Wanda, again....always flying up on to something new.
Any time someone comes over to our house and see the chickens they always say. "Wow, I never knew Chickens could be so beautiful"
It always makes me chuckle...most people assume chickens come in white and yellow. They ask what kind of chicken are they and I tell them; "Silver Laced Wyandottes" and the response I usually get is "Wyan-wha?"
Here the girls are eating their 2 favorite treats, Watermelon & SCRATCH!
We got out first egg on August 28th 2012! And 4 hours later we found a 2nd egg! It was such a surprise to us, probably to the chickens as well. They didn't quite make it to the nesting boxes! Hopefully as they lay more and more the laying boxes are for.
Here are our first 2 eggs on the left, compared to a store bought Grade A Large Egg on the right. Raising our Silver Laced Wyandotte hens has been such a rewarding experience! They are the best pets we have ever had.
...AND YES! They DO make our breakfast.
