We bought Ginger and her friend Chester as pullets from a feed store. They were 2 of the 10 first chicks we ever raised. I came to learn that Ginger is a Partridge Plymouth Rock after I thought she didn't look like your everyday Rhode Island Red, and it turns out she's not! While I was putting Ginger in the brooder we had prepared for them, Ginger flew from my hand about 9" away from the bottom of the brooder.
Poor Ginger was at the bottom of the pecking order as a young pullet, and was afraid of me. One day, I managed to pick her up, and she realized that I wasn't going to hurt her. It was at that point that she was finally calm when I was there in the coop with them. Her friend Chester, was not like Ginger and would run away from me if I tried to pick her up.
When the chickens were about 6 months old and I started to get all the wonderful eggs I had previously only dreamed about, something unexpected happened. A bear broke into the coop at night and killed all of my chickens, except Ginger. We built a pen for her inside, but didn't put a top on the pen. One night, while checking on her, we realized she wasn't in the pen. Instead, she was perching on a plank of wood at the top of the pen. One of her abilities was that of flight (well, far for a chicken), so she earned her title of "My Little Flying Girl" which she continues to hold.
She was soon accompanied by 2 other hens that we bought on October 19, 2011, shortly after the bear attack. Whenever we were able to watch them, we could put them outside for a little while. Those 2 hens seemed to be just what Ginger needed; we were good company, but we were no chickens.
As the years went by, we got more chicks as I got into "chicken math", and Ginger has been the flock leader since. She has never hurt any chicken and is over 4 years old currently. It's hard for me to believe that it was over 4 years ago that I got her; it seems like only yesterday. She continues to lay her beautiful cream-colored eggs as she roams around her coop with her sisters and brother. She's a fairly quiet chicken unless she wants treats, at which case she will make her point crystal clear to you.
Her and her pals are outside, where they are protected now. We have not lost one more chicken due to any predator since October 1 of 2011.
Poor Ginger was at the bottom of the pecking order as a young pullet, and was afraid of me. One day, I managed to pick her up, and she realized that I wasn't going to hurt her. It was at that point that she was finally calm when I was there in the coop with them. Her friend Chester, was not like Ginger and would run away from me if I tried to pick her up.
When the chickens were about 6 months old and I started to get all the wonderful eggs I had previously only dreamed about, something unexpected happened. A bear broke into the coop at night and killed all of my chickens, except Ginger. We built a pen for her inside, but didn't put a top on the pen. One night, while checking on her, we realized she wasn't in the pen. Instead, she was perching on a plank of wood at the top of the pen. One of her abilities was that of flight (well, far for a chicken), so she earned her title of "My Little Flying Girl" which she continues to hold.
She was soon accompanied by 2 other hens that we bought on October 19, 2011, shortly after the bear attack. Whenever we were able to watch them, we could put them outside for a little while. Those 2 hens seemed to be just what Ginger needed; we were good company, but we were no chickens.
As the years went by, we got more chicks as I got into "chicken math", and Ginger has been the flock leader since. She has never hurt any chicken and is over 4 years old currently. It's hard for me to believe that it was over 4 years ago that I got her; it seems like only yesterday. She continues to lay her beautiful cream-colored eggs as she roams around her coop with her sisters and brother. She's a fairly quiet chicken unless she wants treats, at which case she will make her point crystal clear to you.
Her and her pals are outside, where they are protected now. We have not lost one more chicken due to any predator since October 1 of 2011.
