For several years we had hatched some eggs in a friend's homemade incubator. We only kept the chicks for a week, and then gave them to a local farmer. I always wanted to keep "just one," but we just didn't know much about chickens, so we always ended up giving all the chicks away.
Hatching eggs did get me interested in chickens, and several years later I did lots of reading and research and began the process of getting chickens. After I had done all that reading, it was time to get the show on the road.
A local feed and garden store was getting in several batches of day-old chicks in the spring, so we decided to take the plunge, and reserved four Brahma chicks. Then we decided to add some Buff Orpingtons, so we changed the order and reserved two Brahma chicks and two Orps. And then we were going to add Silkies... The order was changed several times, and we finally ended up with two fuzzy, yellow Light Brahma chicks.
When we brought Kitty and Georgina home, the brooder wasn't even set up, and so they spent their first hour or so in the kitchen sink under the light fixture. They survived a temp spike of 109 degrees when the heat lamp fell into the brooder. It's true when they say Brahmas are tough!
The "girls" grew and grew some more, and from about one week of age, "Georgina," started sprouting a litte pink comb. At about two months, she suddenly "blossomed," and her comb doubled in size, turned bright red, and she grew wattles that were about a half an inch long.
"Kitty," however, still had a completely peach-colored face, with a tiny comb and no wattles. We became slightly suspicious of "Georgina."
This is Kitty and Georgie at about 10-12 weeks
Well, we began pondering what to do with our "pullet" if she were a "he." We were pretty sure we had a young roo, and a lot of folks on BYC agreed with us. All that was left to do was wait for the crow. Well, one day, I found one of the chickens up in the coop, and I was so excited I told my mother "Kitty is in the nest box!" When I arrived back at the coop, I realized that it was Georgie in the nest box. Then, she came out of the box and stood on the edge of the coop, looking like she'd just come out of labor. Well, I guess she had. Our little "rooster" had laid a beautiful little brown egg!
Kitty is our chicken with the most "chickenality." She lets you hold her on her back in you arms, while she stretches out her feet, and lays her head back. She doesn't seem to mind being cuddled.
While Kitty is quite laid back, she has been known to show our 45-65 pound dogs who's boss. She pecks, and/or "stink-eyes" them if they get in her way.
Kitty is a spoiled little hen, and every morning when I let the girls out of the coop, Kitty raises a stink if she doesn't get her "lift" down from the coop. The princess is above using coop ramps, unless she absolutely has to. Her chauffer generally obliges to her request for a lift. We can't have Miss Kitty ruining her fine feathered feet by walking down a lowly coop ramp.
Kitty and Georgie and extremely bonded to one another, and are pretty much inseparable. In fact, every time Georgie goes up to lay her egg, Kitty acts as her "midwife." She either sits outside the nest box, or she perches on the edge of the box, while she waits for Georgie to finish.
It is the cutest sight to witness!
Kitty and Georgie have always been best friends.
Kitty is also a professional model.
Kitty and Georgie
Kitty on the left, Georgina on the right
We made a prototype chicken sweater for the girls, and tried it on Kitty. She wasn't too impressed.
And last, but not least, I must include a picture of the girls' coop decorated for Christmas.
It's blurry, but that is a mini santa on the roof of the coop!
Thanks for reading!
Hatching eggs did get me interested in chickens, and several years later I did lots of reading and research and began the process of getting chickens. After I had done all that reading, it was time to get the show on the road.
A local feed and garden store was getting in several batches of day-old chicks in the spring, so we decided to take the plunge, and reserved four Brahma chicks. Then we decided to add some Buff Orpingtons, so we changed the order and reserved two Brahma chicks and two Orps. And then we were going to add Silkies... The order was changed several times, and we finally ended up with two fuzzy, yellow Light Brahma chicks.
When we brought Kitty and Georgina home, the brooder wasn't even set up, and so they spent their first hour or so in the kitchen sink under the light fixture. They survived a temp spike of 109 degrees when the heat lamp fell into the brooder. It's true when they say Brahmas are tough!
The "girls" grew and grew some more, and from about one week of age, "Georgina," started sprouting a litte pink comb. At about two months, she suddenly "blossomed," and her comb doubled in size, turned bright red, and she grew wattles that were about a half an inch long.
"Kitty," however, still had a completely peach-colored face, with a tiny comb and no wattles. We became slightly suspicious of "Georgina."
This is Kitty and Georgie at about 10-12 weeks
Well, we began pondering what to do with our "pullet" if she were a "he." We were pretty sure we had a young roo, and a lot of folks on BYC agreed with us. All that was left to do was wait for the crow. Well, one day, I found one of the chickens up in the coop, and I was so excited I told my mother "Kitty is in the nest box!" When I arrived back at the coop, I realized that it was Georgie in the nest box. Then, she came out of the box and stood on the edge of the coop, looking like she'd just come out of labor. Well, I guess she had. Our little "rooster" had laid a beautiful little brown egg!
Kitty is our chicken with the most "chickenality." She lets you hold her on her back in you arms, while she stretches out her feet, and lays her head back. She doesn't seem to mind being cuddled.
While Kitty is quite laid back, she has been known to show our 45-65 pound dogs who's boss. She pecks, and/or "stink-eyes" them if they get in her way.
Kitty is a spoiled little hen, and every morning when I let the girls out of the coop, Kitty raises a stink if she doesn't get her "lift" down from the coop. The princess is above using coop ramps, unless she absolutely has to. Her chauffer generally obliges to her request for a lift. We can't have Miss Kitty ruining her fine feathered feet by walking down a lowly coop ramp.
Kitty and Georgie and extremely bonded to one another, and are pretty much inseparable. In fact, every time Georgie goes up to lay her egg, Kitty acts as her "midwife." She either sits outside the nest box, or she perches on the edge of the box, while she waits for Georgie to finish.
It is the cutest sight to witness!
Kitty and Georgie have always been best friends.
Kitty is also a professional model.
Kitty and Georgie
Kitty on the left, Georgina on the right
We made a prototype chicken sweater for the girls, and tried it on Kitty. She wasn't too impressed.
And last, but not least, I must include a picture of the girls' coop decorated for Christmas.
It's blurry, but that is a mini santa on the roof of the coop!
Thanks for reading!