~Fatimetta's Flock~
The world can't get much better without a flock of chickens in it. I used to think chickens were simple creatures and all the same, but oh how wrong I was! Yes, chickens may have simple needs, but they are so full of life and quirky personalities. There is something beautiful about working hard for your own food and the peacefulness that comes along with farming and raising animals that makes it such a fulfilling journey. To this day, the best way I can de-stress and find my happy place is by sitting outside with my flock after a long day.
I created these pages to share how I got into chicken keeping, to remember the history of my flock, and to give updates on my current crew. If you follow along - then you're awesome (as I've found most chicken keepers to be)!
Unfortunately, we had to move to an area and home that doesn't allow chickens. This spring however, I will be hatching some for a friend and giving her the chicks. Although I can't keep them, I'm happy to still be somewhat in the chicken world while we wait to relocate.
For the future, I am being very selective about which birds will be allowed to enter my flock and very careful in choosing where they are from. I have had too many birds brought home with good intentions, only to find they are full of parasites or worse, respiratory infections among heart problems.
I would love to have a flock full of docile birds who are "nice" to each other by chicken standards. The last group of birds I had, were so mean to each other and I don't remember previous flocks being so aggressive. Maybe it had to do with their illnesses?
I do not plan to ever have a large flock again. I would say 4 birds is sufficient for our family. Although, its great having a large group- you run into problems and it gets to be too many birds. Right now, if I could have birds again, I might want either bantam Cochins, Salmon Faverolles, or perhaps even Silkies. I typically always have heritage breeds or the laying type, but that is just not my interest anymore. However, my all time favorite breed has always been a Barred Rock so perhaps I will sneak one in.
Previous flock photos:
1. My first birds ever 2009 (two black hens, Brahma rooster, Sumatra rooster)
2. The Red Stars 2009 (Chloe and Tink):
3. Red and his banties 2009 (Lacey, Primrose, Claire, & Rainy):
4. First Chicks Ever! 2010:
3 Sumatras, Speckled Sussex, Easter Egger, Barred Rock, Welsummer, Gold Laced Polish, Buff & Black Bantam Cochins
My first hatch 2010 (Two buff bantams- from Red and his banties, two silkies I bought):
New layers 2012 (two red sex-links, four white leghorns):
2012 McMurray Hatchery Order:
4 Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, Partridge, 2 buff & 2 black Cochins, Partridge Rock, 2 Easter Eggers, 2 white & 1 buff Orpington, 2 Silver Lakenvelders, 2 Light Brahmas, 2 Minorcas, 2 Silver Spangled Hamburgs, 1 Black Jersey Giant, 2 Red sex-links, Gold lacedd wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, Turken, Speckled Sussex
Summer Flock: (Mixed blue/gold hen, mixed white/black rooster, & my buff Cochin got returned to me from 2010 ♥)
2013 Hatches:
1. Rainy hatched 3 chicks (2 cochin mixes, 1 turken)
2. Primrose hatched 2 (Cochin mixes)
3. Lily hatched 5 (2 Cochin mixes, 1 turken, 1 silver lakenvelder mix, 1 silkie)
4. Etta hatched 4 (3 buff/white/gray mixes and 1 turken)
Easter Egger Addition 2014:
Four hens
*Had to take a break from chickens and sold my entire flock in November 2014
From Nov. 2014 until July 2019 had no birds)
2019
5 Birds to start my new flock:
Mixed banty rooster, Silver Laced Wyandotte hen, Sapphire Gem hen, Black Copper Maran hen, and Golden Comet hen
Fatima
Fatima is my beautiful Sapphire Gem. She is a sweet, calm bird and soo beautiful with her gray and black feathers. The only time when she is not calm is when she free ranges. Instead of walking to places, she chooses to run and fly manically and it freaks out the rooster every time. I think she does it on purpose.
Fatima has begun to let me pet her now if I give her treats (yeah, she's training ME).
Antoinette
Antoinette is a big, bossy, large-and-in-charge, Silver Laced Wyandotte. She's the most outgoing by far, but I think it's because she wants all the food first and all the food to herself.
I love her, but sometimes her bossiness drives me crazy. She lays small, long, tan eggs.
Amelia
Amelia is my beautiful Black Copper Maran. She has just begun laying as of (8/8/19)! So far her eggs aren't the signature deep brown of a Maran, but maybe with time they will get darker. She is best friends with Fatima and those two do everything together. She is the most timid of my birds and has yet to eat from my hand. Amelia became broody recently before she was even a year old and has very fiercely protected her little eggs.
Adelaide
Adelaide is my silly little ISA Brown. She lays a huge beautiful egg and is shy except when it comes to food. Her feathers were ripped out by a rooster at her previous home, but have now grown back in to all their glory. Adelaide began by pecking you hard on the hand if you came near her, but is slowly learning to trust us and hasn't done that for awhile.
Nugget
Nugget is my teeny little rooster boy. I'm not sure of his breed. His color is almost cream legbar, but then he also has puffy cheeks like an Easter Egger. The lady I got him from said he's about 5 or 6 years old already. He is the perfect rooster for my flock! He takes care of the girls, watches for predators, finds them food, and genuinely loves them ♥ He especially loves little Adelaide and follows her around everywhere. All day long those two are side by side.
When I began to choose the members of my flock (from a lady with a couple coops full of 100+ birds), I originally went in wanting a colorful bantam rooster. I kept trying to find one among all her birds, but she mostly only had some giant white Brahma boys. I was prepared to leave without my little rooster or just take one of the Brahma boys, when I spotted this little guy trying to defend his turf. He was the most unique color, and I thought the lady for sure wouldn't sell him to me, but I asked if she'd be willing to part with him. She said of course- she didn't care for him at all. ~One man's trash is another one's treasure~ Nugget has been the best rooster since I got him that day. He watches over his girls religiously, but is always kind and curious as to the things I'm doing within the coop. I love my little Nuggs♥
Christmas 2019 Hens:
Speckled Sussex, Cream Legbar, Cuckoo Maran, Welsummer
Maren
Miranda
Gretchen
Dixie
January 2020 chicks:
4 Silkies (black, blue, white, partridge)
March 2020 chicks:
Barred rock, Rhode Island Blue, Sapphire Gem Splash
April chicks:
Lavender Americauna, Lavender Olive Egger
My Wishlist (Some are breeds I've never kept, and others I would love to have again):
Silkies (any color/variety)
Barred Rock
Cochins (bantams: all varieties but especially obsessed with mille fleur!)
Turken
Leghorn (white)
Orpingtons (buff)
Salmon Faverolle (white too)
Dorkings
Dominique
Delaware
Easter Egger
Olive Egger
Barnevelder
Black Australorp
Swedish Flower Hen
The world can't get much better without a flock of chickens in it. I used to think chickens were simple creatures and all the same, but oh how wrong I was! Yes, chickens may have simple needs, but they are so full of life and quirky personalities. There is something beautiful about working hard for your own food and the peacefulness that comes along with farming and raising animals that makes it such a fulfilling journey. To this day, the best way I can de-stress and find my happy place is by sitting outside with my flock after a long day.
I created these pages to share how I got into chicken keeping, to remember the history of my flock, and to give updates on my current crew. If you follow along - then you're awesome (as I've found most chicken keepers to be)!
Unfortunately, we had to move to an area and home that doesn't allow chickens. This spring however, I will be hatching some for a friend and giving her the chicks. Although I can't keep them, I'm happy to still be somewhat in the chicken world while we wait to relocate.
For the future, I am being very selective about which birds will be allowed to enter my flock and very careful in choosing where they are from. I have had too many birds brought home with good intentions, only to find they are full of parasites or worse, respiratory infections among heart problems.
I would love to have a flock full of docile birds who are "nice" to each other by chicken standards. The last group of birds I had, were so mean to each other and I don't remember previous flocks being so aggressive. Maybe it had to do with their illnesses?
I do not plan to ever have a large flock again. I would say 4 birds is sufficient for our family. Although, its great having a large group- you run into problems and it gets to be too many birds. Right now, if I could have birds again, I might want either bantam Cochins, Salmon Faverolles, or perhaps even Silkies. I typically always have heritage breeds or the laying type, but that is just not my interest anymore. However, my all time favorite breed has always been a Barred Rock so perhaps I will sneak one in.
Previous flock photos:
1. My first birds ever 2009 (two black hens, Brahma rooster, Sumatra rooster)
2. The Red Stars 2009 (Chloe and Tink):
3. Red and his banties 2009 (Lacey, Primrose, Claire, & Rainy):
4. First Chicks Ever! 2010:
3 Sumatras, Speckled Sussex, Easter Egger, Barred Rock, Welsummer, Gold Laced Polish, Buff & Black Bantam Cochins
My first hatch 2010 (Two buff bantams- from Red and his banties, two silkies I bought):
New layers 2012 (two red sex-links, four white leghorns):
2012 McMurray Hatchery Order:
4 Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, Partridge, 2 buff & 2 black Cochins, Partridge Rock, 2 Easter Eggers, 2 white & 1 buff Orpington, 2 Silver Lakenvelders, 2 Light Brahmas, 2 Minorcas, 2 Silver Spangled Hamburgs, 1 Black Jersey Giant, 2 Red sex-links, Gold lacedd wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, Turken, Speckled Sussex
Summer Flock: (Mixed blue/gold hen, mixed white/black rooster, & my buff Cochin got returned to me from 2010 ♥)
2013 Hatches:
1. Rainy hatched 3 chicks (2 cochin mixes, 1 turken)
2. Primrose hatched 2 (Cochin mixes)
3. Lily hatched 5 (2 Cochin mixes, 1 turken, 1 silver lakenvelder mix, 1 silkie)
4. Etta hatched 4 (3 buff/white/gray mixes and 1 turken)
Easter Egger Addition 2014:
Four hens
*Had to take a break from chickens and sold my entire flock in November 2014
From Nov. 2014 until July 2019 had no birds)2019
5 Birds to start my new flock:
Mixed banty rooster, Silver Laced Wyandotte hen, Sapphire Gem hen, Black Copper Maran hen, and Golden Comet hen
Fatima
Fatima is my beautiful Sapphire Gem. She is a sweet, calm bird and soo beautiful with her gray and black feathers. The only time when she is not calm is when she free ranges. Instead of walking to places, she chooses to run and fly manically and it freaks out the rooster every time. I think she does it on purpose.
Fatima has begun to let me pet her now if I give her treats (yeah, she's training ME).Antoinette
Antoinette is a big, bossy, large-and-in-charge, Silver Laced Wyandotte. She's the most outgoing by far, but I think it's because she wants all the food first and all the food to herself.
I love her, but sometimes her bossiness drives me crazy. She lays small, long, tan eggs.Amelia
Amelia is my beautiful Black Copper Maran. She has just begun laying as of (8/8/19)! So far her eggs aren't the signature deep brown of a Maran, but maybe with time they will get darker. She is best friends with Fatima and those two do everything together. She is the most timid of my birds and has yet to eat from my hand. Amelia became broody recently before she was even a year old and has very fiercely protected her little eggs.
Adelaide
Adelaide is my silly little ISA Brown. She lays a huge beautiful egg and is shy except when it comes to food. Her feathers were ripped out by a rooster at her previous home, but have now grown back in to all their glory. Adelaide began by pecking you hard on the hand if you came near her, but is slowly learning to trust us and hasn't done that for awhile.
Nugget
Nugget is my teeny little rooster boy. I'm not sure of his breed. His color is almost cream legbar, but then he also has puffy cheeks like an Easter Egger. The lady I got him from said he's about 5 or 6 years old already. He is the perfect rooster for my flock! He takes care of the girls, watches for predators, finds them food, and genuinely loves them ♥ He especially loves little Adelaide and follows her around everywhere. All day long those two are side by side.
When I began to choose the members of my flock (from a lady with a couple coops full of 100+ birds), I originally went in wanting a colorful bantam rooster. I kept trying to find one among all her birds, but she mostly only had some giant white Brahma boys. I was prepared to leave without my little rooster or just take one of the Brahma boys, when I spotted this little guy trying to defend his turf. He was the most unique color, and I thought the lady for sure wouldn't sell him to me, but I asked if she'd be willing to part with him. She said of course- she didn't care for him at all. ~One man's trash is another one's treasure~ Nugget has been the best rooster since I got him that day. He watches over his girls religiously, but is always kind and curious as to the things I'm doing within the coop. I love my little Nuggs♥
Christmas 2019 Hens:
Speckled Sussex, Cream Legbar, Cuckoo Maran, Welsummer
Maren
Miranda
Gretchen
Dixie
January 2020 chicks:
4 Silkies (black, blue, white, partridge)
March 2020 chicks:
Barred rock, Rhode Island Blue, Sapphire Gem Splash
April chicks:
Lavender Americauna, Lavender Olive Egger
My Wishlist (Some are breeds I've never kept, and others I would love to have again):
Silkies (any color/variety)
Barred Rock
Cochins (bantams: all varieties but especially obsessed with mille fleur!)
Turken
Leghorn (white)
Orpingtons (buff)
Salmon Faverolle (white too)
Dorkings
Dominique
Delaware
Easter Egger
Olive Egger
Barnevelder
Black Australorp
Swedish Flower Hen
