Our first chicks, brought home April 7th, 2014 from Meyer Hatchery. From top to bottom in pecking order they are: Morgaine the Black Copper Marans, Baby the Buff Orpington, Clara the Easter Egger, Victoria the Silver Grey Dorking and Amelia the Golden Buff (red/golden sex-link). We also had a Buckeye chick that we suspected of being a cockerel and was causing lots of drama so he was re-homed.
Picking up the girls from Meyer. Left to right: Golden Buff, Buff Orpington, Easter Egger, Black Copper Marans, Buckeye and Silver Grey Dorking crouched down in front
Amelia, the Golden Buff, first to eat, drink and explore and also the first to get a name because of her big personality
Little Dorking, later named Victoria, my husband's chick. We were a bit worried about her as the "runt", she slept a lot the first day but on day two she was pecking chicks and taking names
Morgaine the Black Copper Marans, my breed pick, a sweet girl if a bit shy at the time. Who knew she would one day become a bossy loudmouth.
Clara the Easter Egger, my four year old son's pick. A cute fuzzy little chipmunk that would grow up into a big beautiful hawk.
The girls on day two snuggled under their Brinsea Ecoglow Warmer. Left to right: Amelia, Morgaine, the Buckeye, Victoria and Clara the EE behind them is Baby Buff Buff
Day 2: The "Golden Girls" Amelia the Golden Buff, Baby Buff and the Buckeye
Day 2: Amelia in the basket
Day 2: Buckeye chick in the basket
Day 3: Morgaine and the Buckeye have lost their egg teeth
Day 4: Fuzzy butts eating
Day 5: Sweet Baby Buff, my lap chick
Day 6: Clover!
Day 7: Rowan holding his chick, Clara
Day 8: Baby Buff and our cat Pan, such a patient cat
Little Dorking
Morgaine
Day 10: Amelia, not a little fluff ball any more
Baby Buff, still a bit of a fluff ball
Baby Buff's angel wings
Clara Oswin Oswald, you beauty!
Day 12: Clara and the Easter Eggs
Day 15: Two weeks, first field trip! The girls stayed close to mom, Amelia hid under my dress
Day 20: Clara and Amelia- The Companions
Day 22: 3 weeks, Baby loves climbing on me
Day 23: Clara the EE
Oh Baby
Snuggly Baby
Victoria and Morgaine
Day 31: Amelia striking a pose
Gorgeous green Easter Egger legs
Clara is getting lots of black feathers on her head
Day 32: Selfie with Baby Buff
Day 33: Clara, Buckeye, Amelia and Baby Buff
Day 34: Victoria, Baby Buff, Buckeye, Amelia and Clara and Morgaine in back
Day 36: Amelia and Victoria resting on top the pillow
Baby Buff in the hand
Day 38: Sweet Amelia
Day 40: Last day with the Buckeye, farewell you handsome boy!
Day 43: 6 weeks old, Clara the shoulder hawk... err chicken
Rowan holding a very sweet Victoria
Day 62: Amelia in the thyme
Poor Clara, we think she had a small stroke, she was temporarily unable to use one of her legs and wings, but she recovered within a week and became the first pullet to lay.
3 months old! The girls out in the their almost completed run, playing with their new Manna Pro treat ball
15 weeks: Clara looking noble
Pretty 15 week old pullet Amelia
Clara
Morgaine, 16 weeks
Victoria in my lap
Baby Buff, 4 months old
18 weeks: Amelia near the Queen Anne's Lace
Clara, 19 weeks
Amelia, 19 weeks
20 weeks: Clara laid her first egg inside the house with my assistance, I think she was egg bound
Clara's first egg washed
Clara laying in the nest box!
Clara's first three eggs
Amelia week 22, the morning just before laying her first egg, apparently she wanted to fly the coop
She was very nervous and kept going in and out of the coop, she almost dropped her egg off the perch, but I picked her up and she laid in my lap. Her first few eggs looked pinkish lavender but they soon turned terra cotta.
Clara and Amelia eggs
Amelia in the nest box
Victoria, 24 weeks
Baby laying her first egg, 26 weeks
Victoria keeping her company
Baby's first egg, light peach with white specks. She often lays pink tinted eggs.
Baby, Amelia and Clara's eggs
Morgaine, Amelia and Clara week 27
Concentrated bit of blue at the end of one of Clara's eggs
Victoria, week 28
Morgaine laying her first egg on Halloween, week 29
Victoria waiting on Morgaine, she is the last girl to lay
Morgaine's first egg had a very thick purple bloom on it and large dark spots on it.
Front row: Baby, Morgaine and Clara's eggs
Back row: Amelia's eggs
Morgaine's first three eggs. Bottom left is unwashed, right is washed and top is washed and polished. They got significantly darker after this.
Victoria, one week later before laying her first egg. She really wanted the middle nest box but the other girls kept kicking her out.
Victoria's first egg! Week 30.
Love the new color pallete
Then the snow came... in November...
Baby, 31 weeks
Amelia against the leaves
Clara in the snow
Having some warm mash
Victoria, snow chicken
Chocolate and Caramel and Pink and Mint.
Taken just before Morgaine stopped laying two months ago.
Morgaine, back in November, with only one tiny tip of minor frostbite, it got much worse.
Victoria's comb actually shrank down soon after this photo was taken, she stopped laying in early December, going through a soft molt at 8 months
Baby's comb stayed small and has only gotten tiny light tips, no black though. She's continued to lay through the winter.
Morgaine went through a rough patch in early January, one morning I noticed she was walking stiffly and by that afternoon all she wanted to do was lay down. I brought her in and examined her, she wasn't egg bound and was eating fine but she seemed really depressed. So the next day I brought Victoria in to keep her company, since she was molting anyway. She was the most excellent companion, always laying down next to her quietly even though she likes to explore the house. I credit her for Morgaine's quick recovery, soon Morgaine was preening again and complaining loudly (a favorite pass time). I took them back outside on a "warmer" day and they both maintained their status in the pecking order.
Amelia, Clara and Victoria in late January or early February. Both Clara and Victoria were molting here, but Clara's only lasted about two weeks then she went right back to laying. See how much smaller Victoria's comb is?
And my poor Morgaine.
And from the end of February. Victoria is seriously such a sweet chicken. She may have laid last and stopped laying soon after that but she is such a good companion of human and chicken alike. She keeps all the girls company in the coop while they are laying. She's like that friend that follows you into the ladies room to chat. She is not demanding of attention like Baby Buff but will come sit next to you or on your lap if you are sitting still. She is technically my husband's chicken but I think she's my favorite.
Picking up the girls from Meyer. Left to right: Golden Buff, Buff Orpington, Easter Egger, Black Copper Marans, Buckeye and Silver Grey Dorking crouched down in front
Amelia, the Golden Buff, first to eat, drink and explore and also the first to get a name because of her big personality
Little Dorking, later named Victoria, my husband's chick. We were a bit worried about her as the "runt", she slept a lot the first day but on day two she was pecking chicks and taking names
Morgaine the Black Copper Marans, my breed pick, a sweet girl if a bit shy at the time. Who knew she would one day become a bossy loudmouth.
Clara the Easter Egger, my four year old son's pick. A cute fuzzy little chipmunk that would grow up into a big beautiful hawk.
The girls on day two snuggled under their Brinsea Ecoglow Warmer. Left to right: Amelia, Morgaine, the Buckeye, Victoria and Clara the EE behind them is Baby Buff Buff
Day 2: The "Golden Girls" Amelia the Golden Buff, Baby Buff and the Buckeye
Day 2: Amelia in the basket
Day 2: Buckeye chick in the basket
Day 3: Morgaine and the Buckeye have lost their egg teeth
Day 4: Fuzzy butts eating
Day 5: Sweet Baby Buff, my lap chick
Day 6: Clover!
Day 7: Rowan holding his chick, Clara
Day 8: Baby Buff and our cat Pan, such a patient cat
Little Dorking
Morgaine
Day 10: Amelia, not a little fluff ball any more
Baby Buff, still a bit of a fluff ball
Baby Buff's angel wings
Clara Oswin Oswald, you beauty!
Day 12: Clara and the Easter Eggs
Day 15: Two weeks, first field trip! The girls stayed close to mom, Amelia hid under my dress
Day 20: Clara and Amelia- The Companions
Day 22: 3 weeks, Baby loves climbing on me
Day 23: Clara the EE
Oh Baby
Snuggly Baby
Victoria and Morgaine
Day 31: Amelia striking a pose
Gorgeous green Easter Egger legs
Clara is getting lots of black feathers on her head
Day 32: Selfie with Baby Buff
Day 33: Clara, Buckeye, Amelia and Baby Buff
Day 34: Victoria, Baby Buff, Buckeye, Amelia and Clara and Morgaine in back
Day 36: Amelia and Victoria resting on top the pillow
Baby Buff in the hand
Day 38: Sweet Amelia
Day 40: Last day with the Buckeye, farewell you handsome boy!
Day 43: 6 weeks old, Clara the shoulder hawk... err chicken
Rowan holding a very sweet Victoria
Day 62: Amelia in the thyme
Poor Clara, we think she had a small stroke, she was temporarily unable to use one of her legs and wings, but she recovered within a week and became the first pullet to lay.
3 months old! The girls out in the their almost completed run, playing with their new Manna Pro treat ball
15 weeks: Clara looking noble
Pretty 15 week old pullet Amelia
Clara
Morgaine, 16 weeks
Victoria in my lap
Baby Buff, 4 months old
18 weeks: Amelia near the Queen Anne's Lace
Clara, 19 weeks
Amelia, 19 weeks
20 weeks: Clara laid her first egg inside the house with my assistance, I think she was egg bound
Clara's first egg washed
Clara laying in the nest box!
Clara's first three eggs
Amelia week 22, the morning just before laying her first egg, apparently she wanted to fly the coop
She was very nervous and kept going in and out of the coop, she almost dropped her egg off the perch, but I picked her up and she laid in my lap. Her first few eggs looked pinkish lavender but they soon turned terra cotta.
Clara and Amelia eggs
Amelia in the nest box
Victoria, 24 weeks
Baby laying her first egg, 26 weeks
Victoria keeping her company
Baby's first egg, light peach with white specks. She often lays pink tinted eggs.
Baby, Amelia and Clara's eggs
Morgaine, Amelia and Clara week 27
Concentrated bit of blue at the end of one of Clara's eggs
Victoria, week 28
Morgaine laying her first egg on Halloween, week 29
Victoria waiting on Morgaine, she is the last girl to lay
Morgaine's first egg had a very thick purple bloom on it and large dark spots on it.
Front row: Baby, Morgaine and Clara's eggs
Back row: Amelia's eggs
Morgaine's first three eggs. Bottom left is unwashed, right is washed and top is washed and polished. They got significantly darker after this.
Victoria, one week later before laying her first egg. She really wanted the middle nest box but the other girls kept kicking her out.
Victoria's first egg! Week 30.
Love the new color pallete
Then the snow came... in November...
Baby, 31 weeks
Amelia against the leaves
Clara in the snow
Having some warm mash
Victoria, snow chicken
Chocolate and Caramel and Pink and Mint.
Taken just before Morgaine stopped laying two months ago.
Morgaine, back in November, with only one tiny tip of minor frostbite, it got much worse.
Victoria's comb actually shrank down soon after this photo was taken, she stopped laying in early December, going through a soft molt at 8 months
Baby's comb stayed small and has only gotten tiny light tips, no black though. She's continued to lay through the winter.
Morgaine went through a rough patch in early January, one morning I noticed she was walking stiffly and by that afternoon all she wanted to do was lay down. I brought her in and examined her, she wasn't egg bound and was eating fine but she seemed really depressed. So the next day I brought Victoria in to keep her company, since she was molting anyway. She was the most excellent companion, always laying down next to her quietly even though she likes to explore the house. I credit her for Morgaine's quick recovery, soon Morgaine was preening again and complaining loudly (a favorite pass time). I took them back outside on a "warmer" day and they both maintained their status in the pecking order.
Amelia, Clara and Victoria in late January or early February. Both Clara and Victoria were molting here, but Clara's only lasted about two weeks then she went right back to laying. See how much smaller Victoria's comb is?
And my poor Morgaine.
And from the end of February. Victoria is seriously such a sweet chicken. She may have laid last and stopped laying soon after that but she is such a good companion of human and chicken alike. She keeps all the girls company in the coop while they are laying. She's like that friend that follows you into the ladies room to chat. She is not demanding of attention like Baby Buff but will come sit next to you or on your lap if you are sitting still. She is technically my husband's chicken but I think she's my favorite.
