My husband came home with 2 cute bantam partridge cochins last year from a Craft and Critter Sale that our friend was having.

Fred



Wilma






He also picked up this little A-frame chicken tractor for them.



Our friend kindly kept them over the winter for us in her coop.



Oh wait! Now there are 3!! I have been gifted a bantam frizzle cochin!









Matilda




She is the boss chicken of my coop no matter how many more I have added!
It is quite funny to watch her pick on and chase the others as she is so little, white and fluffy!
Even the roosters make sure she has her space!





My happy little trio in our garage



Now it's Spring of 2012. Would I like to attend a poultry auction with our friends? Why yes! Yes I would!
I was outbid on a set of bantam cochin hens, so somehow I end up with a STANDARD splash cochin!
I guess my original idea of only raising Bantams just flew out the window!

Bunny



As a fabulous surprise, my husband, his uncle and parents, purchased me a kids' playhouse they found on Kijiji so I could have a nice coop for my growing collection! We got to work modifying it, insulating, wiring, and adding a run.



YIKES! A predator already??!!!








The finished product!







Uh-oh! Seems I have 2 broody hens! I wonder what would happen if I put a few eggs underneath???



Eeeek! No time to paint the inside of the new coop - one of the eggs is peeping! I need the garage as a nursery!! Everybody out!
But first, add a Dark Cornish Hen to the mix!


Sausage






One successful egg! Wilma is a great mother!
Chicklet



Might as well get to work stocking up the coop!
Ostrich (a Maran I think!)



Penny (bantam Cochin)




Freckles (hen) and Pickles (rooster) - Silkies



Foghorn and Leghorn - Cochin hens



Everyone out enjoying the sun!








Naptime on the roost!



Watermelon is definitely a favorite!






Time for Chicklet to leave the nest - Wilma is broody again!
Sold him to a lovely lady for $10 who actually wanted a bantam cochin rooster for her hens!





Back to the nursery for Wilma - she hatched triplets this time!
Mac Chicken, Mac Nugget, and Button! Sept 21/12





So my current Chicken Math is : Start out with 2 and add 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 hatch + 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 - 1 sold + 3 hatch = FOURTEEN!!
Already getting the urge to build another coop so I can start raising Frizzle Cochins!

Of course, Matilda and I would have to be co-managers of the Frizzle Factory....





Hope you enjoyed reading about my favorite hobby!


Crystal's Coop
Leduc County, Alberta
Canada



UPDATE: OCT 3RD/12

So this time my logic for adding 3 more bantam hens this weekend was that "Winter is coming. I might need a few extra chickens so everyone stays warm in the coop!"


JAMIE HYNEMANN AND LANNY MACDONALD
(not sure what kind these are but they look like they have moustaches!)




CHUCKLES - Bantam Barred Cochin





Oh, and my husband found this advertised for FREE and brought it home. Springtime project has arrived!!!!!




Oct 8/12

Sad news today. Poor old Matilda went up to the big nesting box in chicken heaven this morning.
Was quite a shock for me - I cried and cried *sob*
She will be dearly missed - RIP Matilda Chicken