Lacy Duckwing: Life With The Flock
For 10 years and on, I have been raising chickens, both Standard and Bantam, along with some other poultry and farm animals. In this article, I will talk about the poultry I've had over the years and some of the other farm life. I hope you enjoy! 
Part 1: Chickens of the Past
The Start to In Between:
Getting our first chicks in the summer of 2011, I've been raising chickens ever since. The first chicks included Easter Eggers, Rhode Island Reds, Golden Comets, and Barred Rocks. As the year went on, we got more chicks, some layers, Guinea Fowl, turkeys, geese, and ducks. The chicks were more of the same breed, and later some Cornish crosses (aka, Meatbirds), and a Hatchery mix-up, Buff Brahma named Feathers. The layers were five Tinta Tints (aka Amber Star) who were supposed to be White Jersy Giants, a Silver Laced Wyandotte (Penny I), a New Hampshire Red (Ginger I, and known for having the worst molt), and a White Jersey Giant (Queeny). Our first rooster, Kingsly, was a rescue that we got in that first year.
A picture of some of the first year's chickens in our first winter. They are standing by the Church, the first chicken coop in its original location.
With a bird count of 98 birds on a little less of an acre, it didn't take long for us to get in trouble with the neighbors. After getting Animal Control called on us, we realized that we had to downsize, and fast. We started with first rehoming the chickens who went the furthest. That was the Barred Rocks and Golden Comets. We went on to build runs for the chickens to keep them contained. Not everything was perfect, but at least we had no further troubles with that neighbor.
A coop-less run that was created in the second year of chickens. The coop they stayed in at night was somewhere else on the property.
After a couple of years, we ended up getting a coop built that was called the Red Barn, and it is still in use today. The coop had several different rooms inside and had two chicken runs on the front. On the big side (aka The Hen Coop), there was a big room with a big run, and on the small side (later known as the Disease Coop), there was a small room and a small run. What remained of the original flock, and a small flock of Buff Orpingtons from a local breeder went into the big side. On the small side, a mixed flock (later known as the Disease Flock) of Delawares, White Rocks, Black Ameraucanas, Easter Eggers, and a few other birds went in. Due to disease, most of the birds on the small side died, and the remaining ones were either given away or put in with the flock on the big side.
Parasites and Disease:
In our first year of chicken keeping, it was first discovered on my favorite pullet, Marvalo I, that there was a parasite on the flock. After some research, we found out that they had Red Fowl Mites, and we were told that they come from hay. We tried to get rid of the mites and used Deciduous Earth to 'dust' the chickens. It didn't work, and about two days after dusting the flock, I unexpectedly lost one of my favorite EEs, Tanse. With no knowledge outside of DE, we gave up on treatment and the chickens remained with the mites until I got rid of every bird I had, in 2020.
Pat (left) and Tanse (right) sit on the roof of the coop. Tanse later died and it's suspected to be because of DE. Pat (full name Pattern) later dies of what is suspected, a broken heart over losing Tanse.
As if the Red Fowl Mites weren't bad enough, in 2013, we learned the hard way why you shouldn't get chickens from a chicken swap. We had brought home Marek's Disease with our Black Ameraucanas and Delawares. The disease easily swept through the small mixed flock and killed just about every chicken in the flock, including one that had been vaccinated against the disease when it was a chick. We ended up returning one of the Ameraucanas to someone who was affiliated with the person we got the diseased birds from. (That same person's husband helped us cull some of the bad cases.) We then gave the surviving roosters to someone who was taking our diseased goats to let the goats live out their days till the disease showed symptoms. The surviving hens we put in with the healthy flock. Unfortunately, shortly after we did that, the last Delaware started showing symptoms, so we brought her to get culled.
A Delaware sits in between two White Rocks on a perch. All three later die from Marek's Disease.
Other than the mites, we had no further issues until we got six 4-month Isa Browns. There was no direct disease they seemed to be dying from, just random issues and deaths. By the time they hit retirement, 4/6 of them had died, and one almost died. During the time of the Isa Browns and after, I had two cases of Water Belly, which apparently was a genetic flaw. The first Water Belly case was Patti, a possible daughter of an Isa Brown. The last case was Marvalo II, Patti's daughter.
Something About Bantams:
In 2013, at a chicken swap, my family got a trio (two pullets and a cockerel) of White Crested Black Polish bantams. We immediately fell in love with the Pom-Poms for their cuteness, and ability to set on your lap for a long time. Unfortunately, though not disease, these Polishes came with their own set of problems. On two occasions, while they were out free ranging, our gander (Comet) attacked one and both times, nearly killed it. Thankfully we were able to save the Polishes on both times and they had no known issues as a result. Come that winter is when we decided that the Polishes were something that we couldn't deal with. We did the best thing possible to keep them warm without using heat lamps or bringing them inside, but their crests got extremely dirty, which only proved they were 'high maintenance'. As winter was nearing its end, we rehomed them. (And sadly, we think they didn't go to a good home, and may have not survived the first night there.)
The trio of White Crested Polish with their dirty crests hanging out in the Hay Barn while free ranging on a warm winter day before being rehomed.
Come to a couple of months after rehoming the Polishes, on my birthday in 2014, I got five Silver Duckwing Old English Game bantam chicks. They were two cockerels, Perch II and Chester, and three pullets, Libby, Lucille, and Lacy- the very Lacy that my YouTube Channel and my BYC username are named after. The bantams were raised in my bedroom under an old lamp. Once they were old enough to go outside, they lived in a cage in my Mom's shed. During the day, the bantams got to stay in a yard known as the Guinea Pen, and at night, back to the cage in the shed. The bantams did well, until one day I came out to a half-dead Chester with Perch II standing over him. Perch II was given to a neighbor a few days later and Chester became the rooster of the bantams until April 2020 when his son, Lester, took his place.
The original five young Silver Duckwing Old English Game bantams free-ranging together.
After Perch was gone, I only had the four, though I loved the amount of five. Summer of 2015, Libby, the queen of the bantams (and secretly of the whole barnyard), went broody on a huge clutch of uncollected eggs. Lucille, second to Queen Libby and always trying to be just like her, copied Libby and went broody, too. When the bantam chicks began to hatch, something was terribly wrong. The chicks were dying shortly after hatching and seemed like they had some type of similar injury. I didn't realize what was happening until I saw Libby hatch out her last chick and peck it terribly. As fast as I could, I threw Libby out of that coop but it was too late. It was acting like the others before they died, so I knew it wasn't going to make it. Lucille stayed broody, and unlike the hen she always tried to copy, she successfully hatched out one more chick and raised it until she went broody the next year. Lucille's chick was a pullet. I named her Lucy II after her hatching mother Lucille. (Lacy was most likely Lucy's biological mother.) Lucille went on to hatch out three Standard sized chicks the year after hatching Lucy, and that was her last hatch for they broke her heart because she couldn't keep them longer. Lucy later hatched out five TSC Silkie chicks the year after Lucille's last hatch, and three of her own chicks the following year.
Left to right: Lester, Lindbergh, Chester, and Lucy were all outside during the last winter of me owning bantams.
The bantams ended up getting rehomed after the rest of the birds on the farm were rehomed. The first to go was Chester, Lucille, and Lucille's grandson, Lindbergh. Lester was taking Chester's place as the rooster of the bantams, and Lindbergh, Lester's younger brother, was an extra rooster. Lucille left with Chester because the younger bantams were too much for her, and she was the only bantam hen of the originals who loved Chester. (The original three wanted Perch and thought they deserved him, not Chester, so they despised Chester. After Lucille's heart was shattered over the loss of her three oversized sons, she began to grow attached to Chester.) I assumed if Lucille lost Chester, it would be the death of her. She ended up flourishing in her new home. A couple of months after rehoming Chester, Lucille, and Lindbergh, I had to rehome the remaining five: Libby, Lacy, Lucy, and Lucy's offspring, Lester and Lolly. This was due to being away from home most of the summer.
The Church Bird Years:
I often mention the Church Birds, and many ask me why they are called "Church Birds". The reason is simple. The coop they lived in was called the Church because it looked like a Church. Though Church Birds was a flock that started in 2017, the Church was the very first coop built on my small farm. For whatever reason, the Church Birds stand out to me more than any of the flocks before them, thus getting mentioned/referred to more than most other chickens in the past. (They may be the reason why I refer to most chickens as "birds" instead of "chickens".) The Church Birds started when I got 7 chicks (Dutchess, Jazz, and Victoria I the BSLs, Copper-Amber, Neisha, and Lupine the EEs, and Pearl the BR) from my local feed store. I didn't want to put the new pullets in with the flock in the Red Barn and needed flock mates for my two TSC Silkies (Beamer and Basil) for warmth come winter. Thus, the Church Birds flock began.
Dutchess (far right) checks out Cave II (front) who wandered away from her mother. Copper-Amber (back left) and Lupine (back right) join Dutchess. They all stand in front of the Church.
By that fall, two pullets (Cave II and Bailey) who suffered from a bad pecking order moved in with the Church Birds, along with an RIR (Sparkles) who appeared by the Red Barn one night. They spent the winter with the Church Birds and moved into the Red Barn the next spring leaving them as the original 7 and 2 Silkies. That summer, Lucy, a Silver Duckwing Old English bantam, hatched out five Silkies from the two Church Bird Silkies. The Church Birds later received another Silkie, Izzy, along with two new pullets (Katie II and Sparkie, the daughter of Sparkles) who had been suffering from a bad pecking order and two other pullets (Anna and Jackie) who were new to the farm. The Church Bird Silkies grew with Benz replacing his father Beamer, and Benz's two sisters, Romaine and Rosemary. Sparkles the RIR moved back in with the Church Birds for the winter.
Part 2: Other Poultry
Geese for Years:
In our first year of chicken keeping, it was decided that we needed geese to help protect the chickens. We got two Sebastopol/Embden mix geese (Comet, gander, and Blizzard, goose) and one Embden/Tufted Roman mix goose named Dinosaur. They were trained to come when called by my Mom and were really great geese. Come winter, they wanted to hatch out goslings but were unsuccessful. We eventually got some Sebastopol goslings for them and the trio raised them. At a few months old, we nearly lost one that we suspect ate a tomato plant, but we were thankfully able to save it.
The geese in March 2017. Left to right: Blizzard, Comet, Dinosaur, and Jennifer.
The Sebastopols ended up being a short-time thing, though Comet, Blizzard, and Dinosaur weren't. Jennifer, who was referred to as "The Halfbred" until she was named a couple of years later, was the same thing as Blizzard and Comet, but a little smaller. In Jennifer's last winter, she broke her wing, so was given away to someone who would cull her. The trio stayed a little longer until it was decided that they should go as well.
Duck Time:
In our second year of chicken keeping, we got a free Muscovy drake (Elvis) and thought it was a good idea. Apparently not. Elvis was terrible, and the only bird I've ever been actually scared of. We got two matching ducks with hopes that he would calm down, but it only worked for a little while. We ended up selling his females and giving him to someone who just lost their male who was the same thing as Elvis.
A Cayuga drake and duck stand on chickens' covered run. They often bathed in the melting ice that was on the roof.
The following year, we got four Cayuga ducks. We mistakingly kept them in with the chickens for the winter. That Spring, we hatched out some of their offspring, and those were the only successful hatches we have had out of our incubator. We had several hatches, including some assisted. We ended up selling the ducklings, and later the adults.
Guinea Fowl and Troubles:
In our first year of chicken keeping, we got a trio of Lavender Guinea Fowl keets. The Guineas were raised around the chickens and saved the life of a meatbird. Later, when the keets were adults, we got another Lavender Guinea (Eagle) who had lost his previous flock to birds of prey. We got some Pearl Guinea Fowl sometime after we got Eagle. The Pearls weren't as friendly as the Lavenders, not to mention the Pearls included the evil Half Waddle. (Half Waddle was the only Guinea who would bite, thus being referred to as 'evil'. He also was missing half of one of his waddles.) We didn't keep the Pearls long, thankfully.
The trio of Lavender Guinea Fowl roost on the cross of the Church coop.
In April, while the Lavenders were free-ranging, something bad happened. The Guineas had wandered a little bit off the property, and we became aware of this by the sound of terrible screeching from a Guinea. The Guineas quickly returned to our property, and Eagle lagged behind. His wing somehow was broken. We suspected that the neighbor's dog did it, but there were no signs of a dog bite. We later figured the neighbor himself did it, due to something that happened later in the year to a hen, but we'll never know for sure. We did our best to help Eagle's wing heal, but he was never able to fly again.
Eagle, now flightless, lives in a small mixed flock with his friend Simon. (Simon is not pictured here.)
Due to trouble with a neighbor, and the Guineas not good in confinement, we had to rehome all the Guinea Fowl. Due to Eagle's broken wing, we kept him. He befriended a decrowed Blue Wheaten Ameraucana rooster named Simon. Simon later ended up dying, and Eagle moved in with a new flock of chickens. Having no one to be friends with and a broken heart over losing Simon, Eagle lived in the flock's nesting box and stayed there until he died himself.
Not For Long, Turkeys:
I'm including Turkeys here because I once had turkeys. Thing is, I only raised them for meat. In my first year with turkeys, I fell right in love with them. The Bronze Tom was named Wilderness, and my favorite one, a white hen, was Pip-Squeak. There was another white one, but that one was never named. Pip-Squeak often followed me around and was very friendly. I liked Wilderness, too, but he was a bad turkey. He somehow got into some chicks and sculped an EE named Fluffy. Fluffy did survive, though she had a bald spot on her head forever. The turkeys that year were the hardest to let go of.
The next year we got six white turkeys. We don't know for sure what they had, but 4/6 of the turkeys died before the slaughter date. I got another turkey from the person who sold us the Marek's diseased chickens, and that turkey died days after we got it. We suspect that they had Black Head, but we don't know for sure. We haven't got turkeys since then.
Meatbirds!:
Ever since the first year of doing chickens, we've been raising meatbirds. That is, Cornish X. We used to do 15 at a time, but the number grew up from there. The number went from 15 to 25 to 50 to eventually, 100 meatbirds at once! After the 100 meatbirds, we started doing 60, then 50 (in between those numbers in some years), and in the past few years, we've done none at all.
A flock of Cornish crosses (Meatbirds) free-ranging while their coop is cleaned.
Part 3: The None Poultry
Good Goats or Not:
In our second year or so of chicken keeping, we expanded the small farm to goats. We bought a couple of Sanaan cross kids. One was named Milky and the other was Jumper. When the goats were over a year old, we bought two more goats who were old enough to milk. They were an earless goat named Lily, and a Sanaan named Shakira. After we missed the two new goats' heats, we gave up on the two and sold them. We got a dwarf buck named Picasso in their place and to breed the two originals who were becoming old enough.
Left to right: Milky, Jumper, and Shakira. They lived in the back room of the Red Barn.
Before we could breed Milky and Jumper, the person who got Shakira contacted us. They told us that Shakira had a disease and asked us if we knew that she had it and if it came from us. We knew nothing, including the name of the disease. Fearing that Milky and Jumper might have the disease, we had them tested. The test came back positive. We were heartbroken. Though you supposedly can still breed a goat with that disease, we didn't want to see them when the symptoms start showing. We found someone who was very familiar with the disease and they offered to take the goats and let them live until the symptoms started showing.
Runaway Rabbits:
Somewhere in the first years of chicken keeping, my family got four male Mini Rex rabbits. Within a couple of months, we discovered one was actually a Dutch female. Soon, we rehomed them all. A year or so later, me and my older sister got Angora rabbits. The Angoras were better than the Mini Rex, though higher maintenance. My sister's rabbit sadly passed away, and as a result, I ended up rehoming my rabbit.
Tabitha, my Angora rabbit that I had for only a few months. She was the second rabbit I owned.
Part 4: The End Of Poultry
An Overwhelming Problem:
The Church Birds were getting sick. Anna had a wry tail, and a couple of other birds were starting to get it, too. The reason for the sickness and wry tail: Septic Water. The Church sat on the leach bed and the septic water was seeping up. The water had been seeping up for years and proved to be a problem in the past, but the Church Yard was built around that. This time it was different. It was seeping up in front of the Church's door along with a few other spots. I tried burying the spots, but the water would seep out again, and the Church Birds would dig it up (they liked the septic water better than the nice water I gave them). With this issue, we went to the landlord. The landlord said it would be dug up, and he'd make a new and bigger leach bed. That being said, means that the Church had to be moved. Because the Church was so old, not to mention it lost its floor that winter, meant it needed to be torn down (and burned).
The first chicken coop on my farm known as the Church sets under snow in the winter of 2013. It is in its second and final location.
With the Church needing to go, my favorite chickens hitting retirement, new layers that annoyed me, and not being able to decide who to keep, it was decided to just rehome all the Standards. This all became about after a hard winter where I lost a favorite EE hybrid (Marvalo II) to Water Belly (March 7, 2019) and had the just deceased hen's younger half-sister (Vienna) attacked by a dog (March 14, 2019). (That was the worst predator attack we've ever had in all my years of chicken keeping.)
The Last To Go:
I first rehomed the retireds. They were the easiest to rehome because they were free, but the hardest for me to let go of. One of those retireds was Joy, a Buff Orpington brooder who had been a brooder for years. Another special hen was Nalla, the daughter of Feathers. All the original Church Birds were at retirement age as well. Thankfully all the retireds went at the same time, and most were going to free range for the rest of their days. Joy, Nalla, and a couple of others were going to be spoiled in confinement in the care of the mother of the person who was getting them. Even though it was hard, I knew they were going to a good home.
The layers were next. They were all sold at once as well. Those were the new Church Birds, the annoying Australorps, and a Black Jersey Giant (who was supposed to be an Australorp). A month after the layers were sold, the Silkie trio was sold. They were Benz, Romaine, and Rosemary. At some point, after the Standards were all gone, it was decided that the geese should go. Finally, about a year after rehoming the Standards, the bantams ended up being rehomed.
Part 5: A New Start
Six Young Layers:
On September 2, 2020, I got five new layers. That was Princess the Buff Brahma, Aundria the Blue Rock, Jewels the Speckled Sussex, Penny II the Silver-Laced Wyandotte, and Rocky II the Golden Comet. About a week later, I get a sixth layer, a Cuckoo Maran hen that I named Maisy. After being without any birds for most of the summer, the new flock was instantly a joy. Aundria quickly became the queen and became friends with Princess. Rocky was cool and friendly. Maisy was funny and tolerant of everything. Jewels were also friendly.
Rocky II the Golden Comets reads a book in her new owner's home.
New Flock, New Problems:
Even as wonderful as it was to have a new start with a new flock, they weren't completely flawless. This flock came with its own set of problems. They were feather pluckers! They preferred to pluck thigh feathers and the fluffy bum-bum feathers. Rocky got plucked the worst. The flock got Pinless Peepers, though there were still birds getting plucked afterward. Just not as badly. Penny was later put in jail for bullying. Jewels had Sour Crop. Aundria had some eternal issue affecting her egg-laying.
Chickens and On:
The new flock has retired and there are new chickens in my flock. I hope to keep chickens for many years to come. True, there are always troubles in a flock, including the beard-pluckers I'm dealing with right now, but that's all part of chicken keeping. Currently, my flock is mite-free, and I am so thankful for that, beard-pluckers and all. Thank you for reading this all!
Author: Lacy Duckwing
Date originally typed out: October 19, 2022
Part 1: Chickens of the Past
The Start to In Between:
Getting our first chicks in the summer of 2011, I've been raising chickens ever since. The first chicks included Easter Eggers, Rhode Island Reds, Golden Comets, and Barred Rocks. As the year went on, we got more chicks, some layers, Guinea Fowl, turkeys, geese, and ducks. The chicks were more of the same breed, and later some Cornish crosses (aka, Meatbirds), and a Hatchery mix-up, Buff Brahma named Feathers. The layers were five Tinta Tints (aka Amber Star) who were supposed to be White Jersy Giants, a Silver Laced Wyandotte (Penny I), a New Hampshire Red (Ginger I, and known for having the worst molt), and a White Jersey Giant (Queeny). Our first rooster, Kingsly, was a rescue that we got in that first year.
A picture of some of the first year's chickens in our first winter. They are standing by the Church, the first chicken coop in its original location.
With a bird count of 98 birds on a little less of an acre, it didn't take long for us to get in trouble with the neighbors. After getting Animal Control called on us, we realized that we had to downsize, and fast. We started with first rehoming the chickens who went the furthest. That was the Barred Rocks and Golden Comets. We went on to build runs for the chickens to keep them contained. Not everything was perfect, but at least we had no further troubles with that neighbor.
A coop-less run that was created in the second year of chickens. The coop they stayed in at night was somewhere else on the property.
After a couple of years, we ended up getting a coop built that was called the Red Barn, and it is still in use today. The coop had several different rooms inside and had two chicken runs on the front. On the big side (aka The Hen Coop), there was a big room with a big run, and on the small side (later known as the Disease Coop), there was a small room and a small run. What remained of the original flock, and a small flock of Buff Orpingtons from a local breeder went into the big side. On the small side, a mixed flock (later known as the Disease Flock) of Delawares, White Rocks, Black Ameraucanas, Easter Eggers, and a few other birds went in. Due to disease, most of the birds on the small side died, and the remaining ones were either given away or put in with the flock on the big side.
Parasites and Disease:
In our first year of chicken keeping, it was first discovered on my favorite pullet, Marvalo I, that there was a parasite on the flock. After some research, we found out that they had Red Fowl Mites, and we were told that they come from hay. We tried to get rid of the mites and used Deciduous Earth to 'dust' the chickens. It didn't work, and about two days after dusting the flock, I unexpectedly lost one of my favorite EEs, Tanse. With no knowledge outside of DE, we gave up on treatment and the chickens remained with the mites until I got rid of every bird I had, in 2020.
Pat (left) and Tanse (right) sit on the roof of the coop. Tanse later died and it's suspected to be because of DE. Pat (full name Pattern) later dies of what is suspected, a broken heart over losing Tanse.
As if the Red Fowl Mites weren't bad enough, in 2013, we learned the hard way why you shouldn't get chickens from a chicken swap. We had brought home Marek's Disease with our Black Ameraucanas and Delawares. The disease easily swept through the small mixed flock and killed just about every chicken in the flock, including one that had been vaccinated against the disease when it was a chick. We ended up returning one of the Ameraucanas to someone who was affiliated with the person we got the diseased birds from. (That same person's husband helped us cull some of the bad cases.) We then gave the surviving roosters to someone who was taking our diseased goats to let the goats live out their days till the disease showed symptoms. The surviving hens we put in with the healthy flock. Unfortunately, shortly after we did that, the last Delaware started showing symptoms, so we brought her to get culled.
A Delaware sits in between two White Rocks on a perch. All three later die from Marek's Disease.
Other than the mites, we had no further issues until we got six 4-month Isa Browns. There was no direct disease they seemed to be dying from, just random issues and deaths. By the time they hit retirement, 4/6 of them had died, and one almost died. During the time of the Isa Browns and after, I had two cases of Water Belly, which apparently was a genetic flaw. The first Water Belly case was Patti, a possible daughter of an Isa Brown. The last case was Marvalo II, Patti's daughter.
Something About Bantams:
In 2013, at a chicken swap, my family got a trio (two pullets and a cockerel) of White Crested Black Polish bantams. We immediately fell in love with the Pom-Poms for their cuteness, and ability to set on your lap for a long time. Unfortunately, though not disease, these Polishes came with their own set of problems. On two occasions, while they were out free ranging, our gander (Comet) attacked one and both times, nearly killed it. Thankfully we were able to save the Polishes on both times and they had no known issues as a result. Come that winter is when we decided that the Polishes were something that we couldn't deal with. We did the best thing possible to keep them warm without using heat lamps or bringing them inside, but their crests got extremely dirty, which only proved they were 'high maintenance'. As winter was nearing its end, we rehomed them. (And sadly, we think they didn't go to a good home, and may have not survived the first night there.)
The trio of White Crested Polish with their dirty crests hanging out in the Hay Barn while free ranging on a warm winter day before being rehomed.
Come to a couple of months after rehoming the Polishes, on my birthday in 2014, I got five Silver Duckwing Old English Game bantam chicks. They were two cockerels, Perch II and Chester, and three pullets, Libby, Lucille, and Lacy- the very Lacy that my YouTube Channel and my BYC username are named after. The bantams were raised in my bedroom under an old lamp. Once they were old enough to go outside, they lived in a cage in my Mom's shed. During the day, the bantams got to stay in a yard known as the Guinea Pen, and at night, back to the cage in the shed. The bantams did well, until one day I came out to a half-dead Chester with Perch II standing over him. Perch II was given to a neighbor a few days later and Chester became the rooster of the bantams until April 2020 when his son, Lester, took his place.
The original five young Silver Duckwing Old English Game bantams free-ranging together.
After Perch was gone, I only had the four, though I loved the amount of five. Summer of 2015, Libby, the queen of the bantams (and secretly of the whole barnyard), went broody on a huge clutch of uncollected eggs. Lucille, second to Queen Libby and always trying to be just like her, copied Libby and went broody, too. When the bantam chicks began to hatch, something was terribly wrong. The chicks were dying shortly after hatching and seemed like they had some type of similar injury. I didn't realize what was happening until I saw Libby hatch out her last chick and peck it terribly. As fast as I could, I threw Libby out of that coop but it was too late. It was acting like the others before they died, so I knew it wasn't going to make it. Lucille stayed broody, and unlike the hen she always tried to copy, she successfully hatched out one more chick and raised it until she went broody the next year. Lucille's chick was a pullet. I named her Lucy II after her hatching mother Lucille. (Lacy was most likely Lucy's biological mother.) Lucille went on to hatch out three Standard sized chicks the year after hatching Lucy, and that was her last hatch for they broke her heart because she couldn't keep them longer. Lucy later hatched out five TSC Silkie chicks the year after Lucille's last hatch, and three of her own chicks the following year.
Left to right: Lester, Lindbergh, Chester, and Lucy were all outside during the last winter of me owning bantams.
The bantams ended up getting rehomed after the rest of the birds on the farm were rehomed. The first to go was Chester, Lucille, and Lucille's grandson, Lindbergh. Lester was taking Chester's place as the rooster of the bantams, and Lindbergh, Lester's younger brother, was an extra rooster. Lucille left with Chester because the younger bantams were too much for her, and she was the only bantam hen of the originals who loved Chester. (The original three wanted Perch and thought they deserved him, not Chester, so they despised Chester. After Lucille's heart was shattered over the loss of her three oversized sons, she began to grow attached to Chester.) I assumed if Lucille lost Chester, it would be the death of her. She ended up flourishing in her new home. A couple of months after rehoming Chester, Lucille, and Lindbergh, I had to rehome the remaining five: Libby, Lacy, Lucy, and Lucy's offspring, Lester and Lolly. This was due to being away from home most of the summer.
The Church Bird Years:
I often mention the Church Birds, and many ask me why they are called "Church Birds". The reason is simple. The coop they lived in was called the Church because it looked like a Church. Though Church Birds was a flock that started in 2017, the Church was the very first coop built on my small farm. For whatever reason, the Church Birds stand out to me more than any of the flocks before them, thus getting mentioned/referred to more than most other chickens in the past. (They may be the reason why I refer to most chickens as "birds" instead of "chickens".) The Church Birds started when I got 7 chicks (Dutchess, Jazz, and Victoria I the BSLs, Copper-Amber, Neisha, and Lupine the EEs, and Pearl the BR) from my local feed store. I didn't want to put the new pullets in with the flock in the Red Barn and needed flock mates for my two TSC Silkies (Beamer and Basil) for warmth come winter. Thus, the Church Birds flock began.
Dutchess (far right) checks out Cave II (front) who wandered away from her mother. Copper-Amber (back left) and Lupine (back right) join Dutchess. They all stand in front of the Church.
By that fall, two pullets (Cave II and Bailey) who suffered from a bad pecking order moved in with the Church Birds, along with an RIR (Sparkles) who appeared by the Red Barn one night. They spent the winter with the Church Birds and moved into the Red Barn the next spring leaving them as the original 7 and 2 Silkies. That summer, Lucy, a Silver Duckwing Old English bantam, hatched out five Silkies from the two Church Bird Silkies. The Church Birds later received another Silkie, Izzy, along with two new pullets (Katie II and Sparkie, the daughter of Sparkles) who had been suffering from a bad pecking order and two other pullets (Anna and Jackie) who were new to the farm. The Church Bird Silkies grew with Benz replacing his father Beamer, and Benz's two sisters, Romaine and Rosemary. Sparkles the RIR moved back in with the Church Birds for the winter.
Part 2: Other Poultry
Geese for Years:
In our first year of chicken keeping, it was decided that we needed geese to help protect the chickens. We got two Sebastopol/Embden mix geese (Comet, gander, and Blizzard, goose) and one Embden/Tufted Roman mix goose named Dinosaur. They were trained to come when called by my Mom and were really great geese. Come winter, they wanted to hatch out goslings but were unsuccessful. We eventually got some Sebastopol goslings for them and the trio raised them. At a few months old, we nearly lost one that we suspect ate a tomato plant, but we were thankfully able to save it.
The geese in March 2017. Left to right: Blizzard, Comet, Dinosaur, and Jennifer.
The Sebastopols ended up being a short-time thing, though Comet, Blizzard, and Dinosaur weren't. Jennifer, who was referred to as "The Halfbred" until she was named a couple of years later, was the same thing as Blizzard and Comet, but a little smaller. In Jennifer's last winter, she broke her wing, so was given away to someone who would cull her. The trio stayed a little longer until it was decided that they should go as well.
Duck Time:
In our second year of chicken keeping, we got a free Muscovy drake (Elvis) and thought it was a good idea. Apparently not. Elvis was terrible, and the only bird I've ever been actually scared of. We got two matching ducks with hopes that he would calm down, but it only worked for a little while. We ended up selling his females and giving him to someone who just lost their male who was the same thing as Elvis.
A Cayuga drake and duck stand on chickens' covered run. They often bathed in the melting ice that was on the roof.
The following year, we got four Cayuga ducks. We mistakingly kept them in with the chickens for the winter. That Spring, we hatched out some of their offspring, and those were the only successful hatches we have had out of our incubator. We had several hatches, including some assisted. We ended up selling the ducklings, and later the adults.
Guinea Fowl and Troubles:
In our first year of chicken keeping, we got a trio of Lavender Guinea Fowl keets. The Guineas were raised around the chickens and saved the life of a meatbird. Later, when the keets were adults, we got another Lavender Guinea (Eagle) who had lost his previous flock to birds of prey. We got some Pearl Guinea Fowl sometime after we got Eagle. The Pearls weren't as friendly as the Lavenders, not to mention the Pearls included the evil Half Waddle. (Half Waddle was the only Guinea who would bite, thus being referred to as 'evil'. He also was missing half of one of his waddles.) We didn't keep the Pearls long, thankfully.
The trio of Lavender Guinea Fowl roost on the cross of the Church coop.
In April, while the Lavenders were free-ranging, something bad happened. The Guineas had wandered a little bit off the property, and we became aware of this by the sound of terrible screeching from a Guinea. The Guineas quickly returned to our property, and Eagle lagged behind. His wing somehow was broken. We suspected that the neighbor's dog did it, but there were no signs of a dog bite. We later figured the neighbor himself did it, due to something that happened later in the year to a hen, but we'll never know for sure. We did our best to help Eagle's wing heal, but he was never able to fly again.
Eagle, now flightless, lives in a small mixed flock with his friend Simon. (Simon is not pictured here.)
Due to trouble with a neighbor, and the Guineas not good in confinement, we had to rehome all the Guinea Fowl. Due to Eagle's broken wing, we kept him. He befriended a decrowed Blue Wheaten Ameraucana rooster named Simon. Simon later ended up dying, and Eagle moved in with a new flock of chickens. Having no one to be friends with and a broken heart over losing Simon, Eagle lived in the flock's nesting box and stayed there until he died himself.
Not For Long, Turkeys:
I'm including Turkeys here because I once had turkeys. Thing is, I only raised them for meat. In my first year with turkeys, I fell right in love with them. The Bronze Tom was named Wilderness, and my favorite one, a white hen, was Pip-Squeak. There was another white one, but that one was never named. Pip-Squeak often followed me around and was very friendly. I liked Wilderness, too, but he was a bad turkey. He somehow got into some chicks and sculped an EE named Fluffy. Fluffy did survive, though she had a bald spot on her head forever. The turkeys that year were the hardest to let go of.
The next year we got six white turkeys. We don't know for sure what they had, but 4/6 of the turkeys died before the slaughter date. I got another turkey from the person who sold us the Marek's diseased chickens, and that turkey died days after we got it. We suspect that they had Black Head, but we don't know for sure. We haven't got turkeys since then.
Meatbirds!:
Ever since the first year of doing chickens, we've been raising meatbirds. That is, Cornish X. We used to do 15 at a time, but the number grew up from there. The number went from 15 to 25 to 50 to eventually, 100 meatbirds at once! After the 100 meatbirds, we started doing 60, then 50 (in between those numbers in some years), and in the past few years, we've done none at all.
A flock of Cornish crosses (Meatbirds) free-ranging while their coop is cleaned.
Part 3: The None Poultry
Good Goats or Not:
In our second year or so of chicken keeping, we expanded the small farm to goats. We bought a couple of Sanaan cross kids. One was named Milky and the other was Jumper. When the goats were over a year old, we bought two more goats who were old enough to milk. They were an earless goat named Lily, and a Sanaan named Shakira. After we missed the two new goats' heats, we gave up on the two and sold them. We got a dwarf buck named Picasso in their place and to breed the two originals who were becoming old enough.
Left to right: Milky, Jumper, and Shakira. They lived in the back room of the Red Barn.
Before we could breed Milky and Jumper, the person who got Shakira contacted us. They told us that Shakira had a disease and asked us if we knew that she had it and if it came from us. We knew nothing, including the name of the disease. Fearing that Milky and Jumper might have the disease, we had them tested. The test came back positive. We were heartbroken. Though you supposedly can still breed a goat with that disease, we didn't want to see them when the symptoms start showing. We found someone who was very familiar with the disease and they offered to take the goats and let them live until the symptoms started showing.
Runaway Rabbits:
Somewhere in the first years of chicken keeping, my family got four male Mini Rex rabbits. Within a couple of months, we discovered one was actually a Dutch female. Soon, we rehomed them all. A year or so later, me and my older sister got Angora rabbits. The Angoras were better than the Mini Rex, though higher maintenance. My sister's rabbit sadly passed away, and as a result, I ended up rehoming my rabbit.
Tabitha, my Angora rabbit that I had for only a few months. She was the second rabbit I owned.
Part 4: The End Of Poultry
An Overwhelming Problem:
The Church Birds were getting sick. Anna had a wry tail, and a couple of other birds were starting to get it, too. The reason for the sickness and wry tail: Septic Water. The Church sat on the leach bed and the septic water was seeping up. The water had been seeping up for years and proved to be a problem in the past, but the Church Yard was built around that. This time it was different. It was seeping up in front of the Church's door along with a few other spots. I tried burying the spots, but the water would seep out again, and the Church Birds would dig it up (they liked the septic water better than the nice water I gave them). With this issue, we went to the landlord. The landlord said it would be dug up, and he'd make a new and bigger leach bed. That being said, means that the Church had to be moved. Because the Church was so old, not to mention it lost its floor that winter, meant it needed to be torn down (and burned).
The first chicken coop on my farm known as the Church sets under snow in the winter of 2013. It is in its second and final location.
With the Church needing to go, my favorite chickens hitting retirement, new layers that annoyed me, and not being able to decide who to keep, it was decided to just rehome all the Standards. This all became about after a hard winter where I lost a favorite EE hybrid (Marvalo II) to Water Belly (March 7, 2019) and had the just deceased hen's younger half-sister (Vienna) attacked by a dog (March 14, 2019). (That was the worst predator attack we've ever had in all my years of chicken keeping.)
The Last To Go:
I first rehomed the retireds. They were the easiest to rehome because they were free, but the hardest for me to let go of. One of those retireds was Joy, a Buff Orpington brooder who had been a brooder for years. Another special hen was Nalla, the daughter of Feathers. All the original Church Birds were at retirement age as well. Thankfully all the retireds went at the same time, and most were going to free range for the rest of their days. Joy, Nalla, and a couple of others were going to be spoiled in confinement in the care of the mother of the person who was getting them. Even though it was hard, I knew they were going to a good home.
The layers were next. They were all sold at once as well. Those were the new Church Birds, the annoying Australorps, and a Black Jersey Giant (who was supposed to be an Australorp). A month after the layers were sold, the Silkie trio was sold. They were Benz, Romaine, and Rosemary. At some point, after the Standards were all gone, it was decided that the geese should go. Finally, about a year after rehoming the Standards, the bantams ended up being rehomed.
Part 5: A New Start
Six Young Layers:
On September 2, 2020, I got five new layers. That was Princess the Buff Brahma, Aundria the Blue Rock, Jewels the Speckled Sussex, Penny II the Silver-Laced Wyandotte, and Rocky II the Golden Comet. About a week later, I get a sixth layer, a Cuckoo Maran hen that I named Maisy. After being without any birds for most of the summer, the new flock was instantly a joy. Aundria quickly became the queen and became friends with Princess. Rocky was cool and friendly. Maisy was funny and tolerant of everything. Jewels were also friendly.
Rocky II the Golden Comets reads a book in her new owner's home.
New Flock, New Problems:
Even as wonderful as it was to have a new start with a new flock, they weren't completely flawless. This flock came with its own set of problems. They were feather pluckers! They preferred to pluck thigh feathers and the fluffy bum-bum feathers. Rocky got plucked the worst. The flock got Pinless Peepers, though there were still birds getting plucked afterward. Just not as badly. Penny was later put in jail for bullying. Jewels had Sour Crop. Aundria had some eternal issue affecting her egg-laying.
Chickens and On:
The new flock has retired and there are new chickens in my flock. I hope to keep chickens for many years to come. True, there are always troubles in a flock, including the beard-pluckers I'm dealing with right now, but that's all part of chicken keeping. Currently, my flock is mite-free, and I am so thankful for that, beard-pluckers and all. Thank you for reading this all!
Author: Lacy Duckwing
Date originally typed out: October 19, 2022
Flock from 2020 to 2022
The Originals:
The Originals are what I refer to as the six new layers I got after I rehomed all the poultry I had before. This flock was restart to my chicken keeping. When I got all of these six hens they were around 4 months old. I got them in September 2020 and retired (rehomed) them in June 2022.
(Some things in this section are copied from my Flock Thread, Life With The Flock: Lacy Duckwing's Flock Thread.)
Aundria; Queen of the Flock:
Aundria is a Blue Rock hen. She was one of the first hens I picked and she quickly became queen of the Originals. When I got her, she had some of the prettiest blue feathers, but her face was too long. Thankfully, she grew a huge comb, thus disguising that long face, and became my 'Show Bird'. (A Showbird is a bird that is very photogenetic, very pretty, and one that I like to show off to everyone.) Aundria ended up being one of the best queens I've ever had. She cared about her flock very much and would try to help them whenever they needed it. (That is including trying to help get a bra off of my crop-problem hen.)
Aundria shortly after I got her. She didn't have a pretty face at first but was already showing her 'Show Bird' qualities.
Aundria; Queen of my flock, and my 'Showbird'.
BYC link to Aundria's egg-bound problem:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-egg-bound-hen.1445334/
Princess; Everyone's Favorite:
Princess is a Buff Brahma hen. Even though she was the best-looking Buff Brahma that I could choose from, she wasn't as perfect as Feathers, the Buff Brahma I got by mistake once. Princess quickly rose to second in the pecking order with Queen Aundria's help. She was Aundria's best friend, and Aundria did her best to protect her from the other hens. As a Buff, feather-footed hen, Princess was often the hen everyone (who saw my flock) said they liked the best. Despite the fact Princess was very good-looking, she didn't like having pictures taken of her, so she tried her best to look her worst in them.
Young Princess shortly after I got her. She is wearing a saddle because she lost a lot of feathers shortly after I had gotten her.
Though Princess hated having her picture taken, I did manage to get some good pictures of her. And with some of these pictures, she did place in a couple of photo contests.
Penny II; The Bully:
Penny II is a Silver-Laced Wyandotte hen. She was named after Penny I, who was also a Silver-Laced Wyandotte and was a hen from my first year of chicken keeping. Penny II was instantly the queen of my flock the day I got her. Due to Aundria quickly growing taller than everyone, she took the spot of queenship from Penny. Taking it a step further and using her new position to her advantage, Aundria went on to move Penny to third in the pecking order by helping her best friend, Princess, take second place. As a result of Aundria's actions, Penny became a bitter hen and bullied everyone below her, including Princess if she could get a chance without Aundria around. (There were also suspicions that Penny had left a friend behind at the place I got her, thus causing her to be a sad hen at first.)
Penny II shortly after I got her. She was immediately Queen of the flock, even though she didn't appear happy.
Penny II was known as the Bully. She did have to go to jail for her bad behavior where she improved.
BYC link to Penny's jail sentence:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pennys-in-jail.1464642/
Maisy; An Interesting Bird:
Maisy is a Cuckoo Maran, and I've often wondered if she's a mix, due to the wrong-colored legs. Maisy, an ugly-looking hen, I got six days after I got the other five Originals. She was a small, intelligent hen who used her brain to get higher in the pecking order than she should have been. The summer after I got her, Maisy went broody and was the broodiest hen I had ever owned. She successfully hatched three chicks from eggs that came from another farm. (Her offspring were Shiloh II, Nightfall, and Timin II.)
Maisy, shortly after I got her. An ugly-looking chicken, Maisy enjoyed photo-bombing pictures of Aundria, thus ruining some of Aundria's pictures.
In July 2021, Maisy hatched three chicks. She was my broodiest hen ever, though she left her chicks earlier than my usual broodies.
Rocky II; Special, No Doubt:
Rocky II is a Golden Comet hen. She was named after another Golden Comet hen I had for a short time. Rocky II was instantly my favorite after I got her. She had a cool personality and was playful. She loved having friends and was best friends with Jewels, my crop-problem hen. She later became friends with Maisy, after she rescued Maisy from a deep snowbank. Though she loved having friends, she became a bully to Beth II, a rescued Isa Brown, due to being very jealous of the rescue. Rocky became known as 'The Bald Butt Society' bird due to the fact of her rear end getting terribly plucked by the feather pluckers of the flock.
Rocky II shortly after I got her. She learned to come to her own name and she taught the flock to come to the treat call.
With a hard choice between Rocky II and a BSL, the BSL sealed the deal by sneezing. After coming home with me, Rocky quickly became my favorite for her friendliness and cool personality.
Jewels; My Problem Chicken:
Jewels is a Speckled Sussex hen. Within the first few months after getting Jewels, I discovered she had a crop problem (which is apparently common for Speckled Sussexes). After months of a crop bra with a Sour Crop, later an impacted crop, Jewels finally got the right treatment for her crop. Unfortunately, she did redevelop the crop problem months after treatment and had to get treated again. For a long time, Jewels was at the bottom of the pecking order. She was best friends with Rocky II and became friends with Beth II while Rocky was separated for a molt. She loved to wander and was very independent in that.
Jewels shortly after I got her. It was discovered that she had an ongoing crop problem which caused her to drink lots of water.
Though a problem chicken, Jewels was a beautiful hen with an impressive tail.
BYC links to Jewels crop problems:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sour-crop.1442922/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-long-can-i-safely-fast-my-hen.1485896/
Maisy's Hatch:
In July 2021, Maisy hatched three chicks from a local farm's flock.
Shiloh II; Much Different From the First:
Shiloh II was the first to hatch. Her mother was a Rhode Island Blue and her father was an Easter Egger. She was named after Shiloh I, a Douglas White who had been a queen of a previous flock. Like Shiloh I, Shiloh II became queen after the retirement of the Originals. She was very good friends with Aundria, the queen before her, and was heartbroken after Aundria was rehomed. She later forced herself to become friends with Beth II, because she had nobody else. As queen of the flock, Shiloh is sometimes mean to those below her and is terrible when disturbed at night.
Shiloh II as a chick. Just like Shiloh I, Shiloh II was thought to be a cockerel as a chick.
Shiloh II (left) became best friends with the Queen of the Originals, Aundria (right). She later took Aundria's place after Aundria was rehomed and was heartbroken without the old Queen.
Timin II; Second to Hatch:
Timin II, an Easter Egger mix, was the second to hatch. He hatched the day after his big half-sister, Shiloh II. He was named Timin after a Douglas White cockerel who hatched under a bantam. Timin II was originally named AnnaBella, because he was thought to be a pullet. At about 2 months old, he began to grow rooster feathers and behave like a rooster. Though he was very delayed in showing that he was a rooster, Timin became a very dominant cockerel. He was later rehomed for his younger brother, Nightfall, was chosen as the rooster of the flock before it was discovered that Timin was a cockerel.
Timin II as a chick. He was thought to be a pullet and was originally named AnnaBella.
Timin II stands on a wood pile having his picture taken for Craigslist, where he was later rehomed.
Nightfall, Rooster of the Year:
Nightfall was the last to hatch out of all his siblings. His father was an Easter Egger and his mother was a Rhode Island Blue. Straight at hatch, something was wrong with Nightfall, though he did improve. He did, however, develop a hairline crossbeak (which was only noticeable if you were looking for it). Nightfall ended up getting bullied by the Originals and was never liked by any of his hens. Though Nightfall was supposed to be the rooster of the year, he was rehomed just before the breeding season. Nightfall had learned to crow back to me, and he continues to do so even after being rehomed to one of my neighbors.
Nightfall as a chick, was chosen as the rooster of the flock.
Nightfall was supposed to be the rooster of the year, but ended up being rehomed before the breeding season.
BYC link to Nightfall's health problem:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/unhealthy-cockerel-bad-hatch-whats-wrong.1485474/
Other Chicken:
Beth II; The Amazing Rescue:
In August 2021, my Mom came home with a stinky, dirty, Isa Brown hen that she had rescued on the side of the road. That hen I named Beth II after Beth I, a Tinta Tint (Amber Star) hen from my first year of chicken keeping. Beth's age is not known, though it was assumed that she hatched in the winter of 2020/2021. It was obvious that Beth II had been living in terrible living conditions and somehow escaped. Her feathers were stained, and her terrible smell remained even after a bath. She had never been on a perch and she tried to sleep in whatever spot she could find dirty. After a long quarantine, Beth II moved in with the Originals and eventually learned to use the perch. Beth II quickly took a deep liking to me and loves to follow me everywhere. She has learned to come to her own name. Beth II was bullied badly by Rocky II because of her always being around me. Beth has become second in the pecking order now that the Originals have been rehomed. She does try to sleep in the nesting boxes, though she does sleep on the perches on her own occasionally. Beth II is going to stay on my farm for life, instead of being retired and rehomed.
Beth II the day she was rescued after her bath. She was the stinkiest, dirtiest hen I have ever had. She was worst than a meatbird.
Beth being so friendly and always so close, it is very hard to get a good picture of her.
BYC link to Beth's quarantine:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rescued-hen-questions.1486524/
BYC link to her memorial thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rip-beth-ii.1656070/
Author: Lacy Duckwing
Originally Typed Out: October 24, 2022
The Originals are what I refer to as the six new layers I got after I rehomed all the poultry I had before. This flock was restart to my chicken keeping. When I got all of these six hens they were around 4 months old. I got them in September 2020 and retired (rehomed) them in June 2022.
(Some things in this section are copied from my Flock Thread, Life With The Flock: Lacy Duckwing's Flock Thread.)
Aundria; Queen of the Flock:
Aundria is a Blue Rock hen. She was one of the first hens I picked and she quickly became queen of the Originals. When I got her, she had some of the prettiest blue feathers, but her face was too long. Thankfully, she grew a huge comb, thus disguising that long face, and became my 'Show Bird'. (A Showbird is a bird that is very photogenetic, very pretty, and one that I like to show off to everyone.) Aundria ended up being one of the best queens I've ever had. She cared about her flock very much and would try to help them whenever they needed it. (That is including trying to help get a bra off of my crop-problem hen.)
Aundria shortly after I got her. She didn't have a pretty face at first but was already showing her 'Show Bird' qualities.
Aundria; Queen of my flock, and my 'Showbird'.
BYC link to Aundria's egg-bound problem:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-egg-bound-hen.1445334/
Princess; Everyone's Favorite:
Princess is a Buff Brahma hen. Even though she was the best-looking Buff Brahma that I could choose from, she wasn't as perfect as Feathers, the Buff Brahma I got by mistake once. Princess quickly rose to second in the pecking order with Queen Aundria's help. She was Aundria's best friend, and Aundria did her best to protect her from the other hens. As a Buff, feather-footed hen, Princess was often the hen everyone (who saw my flock) said they liked the best. Despite the fact Princess was very good-looking, she didn't like having pictures taken of her, so she tried her best to look her worst in them.
Young Princess shortly after I got her. She is wearing a saddle because she lost a lot of feathers shortly after I had gotten her.
Though Princess hated having her picture taken, I did manage to get some good pictures of her. And with some of these pictures, she did place in a couple of photo contests.
Penny II; The Bully:
Penny II is a Silver-Laced Wyandotte hen. She was named after Penny I, who was also a Silver-Laced Wyandotte and was a hen from my first year of chicken keeping. Penny II was instantly the queen of my flock the day I got her. Due to Aundria quickly growing taller than everyone, she took the spot of queenship from Penny. Taking it a step further and using her new position to her advantage, Aundria went on to move Penny to third in the pecking order by helping her best friend, Princess, take second place. As a result of Aundria's actions, Penny became a bitter hen and bullied everyone below her, including Princess if she could get a chance without Aundria around. (There were also suspicions that Penny had left a friend behind at the place I got her, thus causing her to be a sad hen at first.)
Penny II shortly after I got her. She was immediately Queen of the flock, even though she didn't appear happy.
Penny II was known as the Bully. She did have to go to jail for her bad behavior where she improved.
BYC link to Penny's jail sentence:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pennys-in-jail.1464642/
Maisy; An Interesting Bird:
Maisy is a Cuckoo Maran, and I've often wondered if she's a mix, due to the wrong-colored legs. Maisy, an ugly-looking hen, I got six days after I got the other five Originals. She was a small, intelligent hen who used her brain to get higher in the pecking order than she should have been. The summer after I got her, Maisy went broody and was the broodiest hen I had ever owned. She successfully hatched three chicks from eggs that came from another farm. (Her offspring were Shiloh II, Nightfall, and Timin II.)
Maisy, shortly after I got her. An ugly-looking chicken, Maisy enjoyed photo-bombing pictures of Aundria, thus ruining some of Aundria's pictures.
In July 2021, Maisy hatched three chicks. She was my broodiest hen ever, though she left her chicks earlier than my usual broodies.
Rocky II; Special, No Doubt:
Rocky II is a Golden Comet hen. She was named after another Golden Comet hen I had for a short time. Rocky II was instantly my favorite after I got her. She had a cool personality and was playful. She loved having friends and was best friends with Jewels, my crop-problem hen. She later became friends with Maisy, after she rescued Maisy from a deep snowbank. Though she loved having friends, she became a bully to Beth II, a rescued Isa Brown, due to being very jealous of the rescue. Rocky became known as 'The Bald Butt Society' bird due to the fact of her rear end getting terribly plucked by the feather pluckers of the flock.
Rocky II shortly after I got her. She learned to come to her own name and she taught the flock to come to the treat call.
With a hard choice between Rocky II and a BSL, the BSL sealed the deal by sneezing. After coming home with me, Rocky quickly became my favorite for her friendliness and cool personality.
Jewels; My Problem Chicken:
Jewels is a Speckled Sussex hen. Within the first few months after getting Jewels, I discovered she had a crop problem (which is apparently common for Speckled Sussexes). After months of a crop bra with a Sour Crop, later an impacted crop, Jewels finally got the right treatment for her crop. Unfortunately, she did redevelop the crop problem months after treatment and had to get treated again. For a long time, Jewels was at the bottom of the pecking order. She was best friends with Rocky II and became friends with Beth II while Rocky was separated for a molt. She loved to wander and was very independent in that.
Jewels shortly after I got her. It was discovered that she had an ongoing crop problem which caused her to drink lots of water.
Though a problem chicken, Jewels was a beautiful hen with an impressive tail.
BYC links to Jewels crop problems:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sour-crop.1442922/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-long-can-i-safely-fast-my-hen.1485896/
Maisy's Hatch:
In July 2021, Maisy hatched three chicks from a local farm's flock.
Shiloh II; Much Different From the First:
Shiloh II was the first to hatch. Her mother was a Rhode Island Blue and her father was an Easter Egger. She was named after Shiloh I, a Douglas White who had been a queen of a previous flock. Like Shiloh I, Shiloh II became queen after the retirement of the Originals. She was very good friends with Aundria, the queen before her, and was heartbroken after Aundria was rehomed. She later forced herself to become friends with Beth II, because she had nobody else. As queen of the flock, Shiloh is sometimes mean to those below her and is terrible when disturbed at night.
Shiloh II as a chick. Just like Shiloh I, Shiloh II was thought to be a cockerel as a chick.
Shiloh II (left) became best friends with the Queen of the Originals, Aundria (right). She later took Aundria's place after Aundria was rehomed and was heartbroken without the old Queen.
Timin II; Second to Hatch:
Timin II, an Easter Egger mix, was the second to hatch. He hatched the day after his big half-sister, Shiloh II. He was named Timin after a Douglas White cockerel who hatched under a bantam. Timin II was originally named AnnaBella, because he was thought to be a pullet. At about 2 months old, he began to grow rooster feathers and behave like a rooster. Though he was very delayed in showing that he was a rooster, Timin became a very dominant cockerel. He was later rehomed for his younger brother, Nightfall, was chosen as the rooster of the flock before it was discovered that Timin was a cockerel.
Timin II as a chick. He was thought to be a pullet and was originally named AnnaBella.
Timin II stands on a wood pile having his picture taken for Craigslist, where he was later rehomed.
Nightfall, Rooster of the Year:
Nightfall was the last to hatch out of all his siblings. His father was an Easter Egger and his mother was a Rhode Island Blue. Straight at hatch, something was wrong with Nightfall, though he did improve. He did, however, develop a hairline crossbeak (which was only noticeable if you were looking for it). Nightfall ended up getting bullied by the Originals and was never liked by any of his hens. Though Nightfall was supposed to be the rooster of the year, he was rehomed just before the breeding season. Nightfall had learned to crow back to me, and he continues to do so even after being rehomed to one of my neighbors.
Nightfall as a chick, was chosen as the rooster of the flock.
Nightfall was supposed to be the rooster of the year, but ended up being rehomed before the breeding season.
BYC link to Nightfall's health problem:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/unhealthy-cockerel-bad-hatch-whats-wrong.1485474/
Other Chicken:
Beth II; The Amazing Rescue:
In August 2021, my Mom came home with a stinky, dirty, Isa Brown hen that she had rescued on the side of the road. That hen I named Beth II after Beth I, a Tinta Tint (Amber Star) hen from my first year of chicken keeping. Beth's age is not known, though it was assumed that she hatched in the winter of 2020/2021. It was obvious that Beth II had been living in terrible living conditions and somehow escaped. Her feathers were stained, and her terrible smell remained even after a bath. She had never been on a perch and she tried to sleep in whatever spot she could find dirty. After a long quarantine, Beth II moved in with the Originals and eventually learned to use the perch. Beth II quickly took a deep liking to me and loves to follow me everywhere. She has learned to come to her own name. Beth II was bullied badly by Rocky II because of her always being around me. Beth has become second in the pecking order now that the Originals have been rehomed. She does try to sleep in the nesting boxes, though she does sleep on the perches on her own occasionally. Beth II is going to stay on my farm for life, instead of being retired and rehomed.
Beth II the day she was rescued after her bath. She was the stinkiest, dirtiest hen I have ever had. She was worst than a meatbird.
Beth being so friendly and always so close, it is very hard to get a good picture of her.
BYC link to Beth's quarantine:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rescued-hen-questions.1486524/
BYC link to her memorial thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rip-beth-ii.1656070/
Author: Lacy Duckwing
Originally Typed Out: October 24, 2022
2022 Chicks
April 5, 2022 Chicks:
These chickens are often referred to as my birthday birds, as I got them on my birthday, April 5, 2022. I got thirteen straight-run chicks that day, which consisted of four Orpingtons, four Olive Eggers, three Whiting True Blues, and two French Black Copper Marans.
(I have them listed in alphabetical order by their names, not breeds.)
Beatrix; A Slight Mix-Up:
Beatrix is a Whiting True Blue HEN. She is one of three WTB chicks I got and was supposed the rooster of the trio. As a chick, she was referred to as Marvalo's twin, as she was very similar in markings to Marvalo III, another WTB chick. Beatrix grew up much faster than the other two WTB chicks, which led me to think she was a cockerel. Plus, when she was around six weeks old, her little pea comb reddened. As maturity came, it became obvious that "Bobby," was indeed a "Beatrix." Unfortunately, when I was finally convinced that she was a she, it was after I had rehomed the cockerels of my birthday birds, so she became the reason why I didn't have a rooster. Sometime later, it was discovered that Beatrix had a Hairline Crossbeak, so her not being a rooster turned out to be a good thing after all.
Beatrix as a chick. She was very similar to Marvalo III as a chick, but as she aged, she stopped looking like her little "twin."
Beatrix is quite the beautiful hen, despite her having a well-hidden crossbeak.
Betty; Named After White:
Betty is a Lemon Cuckoo hen. She was named by my brother who named her after the actress, Betty White. Betty was one of two Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons and was the pullet of the two. At a young age, she learned a simple trick, which is to guess what hand the treat is in, and she lives by it. Whenever she thinks I'm hiding treats from her, she'll start scratching at me or my hands expecting me to give her some. Once, when she was brought to a public event, she showed off her trick to several children and even impressed the firefighters.
Betty as a chick. She dealt with health issues as she grew and treatment didn't help her much. Thankfully, she eventually outgrew the problem and now lives as a healthy hen.
Betty loves treats and is always looking for them. She is one of my friendliest hens.
Blair; She's Not A Marans:
Blair is an Olive Egger hen. She bears the resemblance to my French Black Copper Marans and even lays a dark-colored egg (not the olive-colored eggs she's supposed to lay). Her hackles are a bit lighter in color than the BCM, and it laces in the front. When I got Blair, she was small and appeared unhealthy, but something about her made me want to keep her. She was my thirteenth chick, despite me being supposed to only get twelve, and I wondered if she would survive to maturity. Surprisingly, she did and grew up to be a very healthy hen. She is one of my weird hens in both appearance and stance, and she offers a quiet personality.
Blair appeared sickly as a chick, but her health improved with age.
An Olive Egger who doesn't lay olive eggs takes more after the Black Copper Marans in her lineage than the Whiting True Blue.
Cody; A Cowardly Cockerel:
Cody is an Olive Egger cockerel. He was one of the first chicks I had picked and apparently was sex-linked. It didn't take me too long before I realized he was a cockerel, so I started shooing him away to avoid 'spoiling' him. He developed a skittish personality (which he would have had either way, as my other 'supposed' cockerels weren't skittish as him, despite being shooed away as well). I eventually rehomed him at a chicken swap and ended up regretting it. I was rehoming all my cockerels because I thought 'Bobby' (Beatrix) was a rooster. Had I known that Beatrix was an early maturing pullet, I would have kept him due to his small size.
Cody, an Olive Egger cockerel, was apparently sex-linked.
Cody was very skittish, which made it hard to catch him after a photo shoot.
Eli; The Gentleman:
Eli is a Lemon Cuckoo Orpington rooster. He was a very big cockerel and was a handsome fella. I picked him with Betty due to his color. He was lighter in color than Betty and I hoped that would mean his barring was more obvious. Unfortunately, the lighter color meant he was a cockerel as the Lemon Cuckoo is sex-linked. Eli grew to be a sweet-tempered cockerel who cared a lot for his flock. When my hens Beth II and Shiloh II began bullying his flock of 19, he was the one to stand up to them and defend his flock mates from the 'raptor-hens.' I later had to rehome Eli despite how much I wanted I Lemon Cuckoo rooster to match my Betty. He was going to be a huge rooster, and between a small hen (Marvalo II) in the flock and the grain amount he'd eat, I knew it was best to rehome him.
Out of Eli and Betty, Eli, pictured as a chick here, was my favorite.
Eli was very protective of his flock and would protect them from Shiloh (the blue hen in the back).
Marvalo III; Smallest of the Flock:
Marvalo III is a Whiting True Blue hen. She was named directly after Marvalo I for as a chick, she looked so much like Marvalo I that I couldn't think of naming her anything different. Marvalo III continued to look like Marvalo I even to maturity except for less copper in her hackles and she wasn't crossbeaked. Marvalo III is also much smaller than Marvalo I. In fact, she is the smallest standard-sized hen I have ever had. She is so small, that when my flock had Pinless Peepers, she wasn't able to wear them without them coming out. She has become very skittish amongst her flock mates due to being smaller than them all. She is friendly towards me and will come perch on my lap or even jump to my arm for safety.
Marvalo III looked so much like my first EE, Marvalo I, that I just had to name her after her.
Marvalo is the smallest in my flock and is at the bottom of the pecking order as a result.
Midnight; Midnight Majesty:
Midnight is a Black Split-Lavender Orpington hen. Like she is royalty, she has the full name, Midnight Majesty, though she's only ever called "Midnight." I had been wanting a Black Orpington for a while, so when I heard this seller who had these chicks had some, I was very excited. I picked Midnight as the only Black Orpington chick and hoped and prayed that she was a pullet (these chicks were all straight-run). I often referred to Midnight as "my baby," but as she grew, I worried that she was a cockerel due to her large size and her wattles reddening early, so I didn't spend as much time with her as I would have liked. Thankfully, she was a pullet and I was overjoyed. Midnight has become the most beautiful hen in my flock with her glorious fluff and shimmering black feathers. Her favorite thing is to perch on something that is low to the ground, even if it's my ankle when I'm sitting in the chicken yard.
Midnight was one of my favorite chicks.
Midnight Majesty; she definitely is one of my most impressive hens.
Phoebe; Lost Amongst Predators:
Phoebe was a French Black Copper Marans hen. When she was only three months old, I had nearly lost her forever. While I wasn't home, Phoebe had escaped and got chased off by my neighbor's cat, Brute. She hid somewhere on my neighbor's property for the night while everyone searched for her until sometime past dark. Foxes and cats were both active that night which led me to believe at least one of them had gotten her. Shockingly, the next day around noontime, Phoebe came walking out across the neighbor's yard unharmed! After that, the run was secured so she wouldn't escape and she never again spent another night outside. Sadly, she passed away a year and a half later, but I'm so thankful I got to have that extra time with her.
Despite going on a risky adventure at three months old, Phoebe was never the adventurous type before or after.
Phoebe often was a part of my photoshoots away from home, just as she was in this picture above.
My post after Phoebe was found:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-duckwings-flock-thread.1505879/post-25979234
BYC link of Phoebe's fatal illness:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hen-not-acting-well-poop-picture.1612128/
Sarah; The Only One Like Her:
Sarah was a Whiting True Blue hen. She was one of my all-time favorite hens due to her gentleness and the love she had for me. She'd often jump up on my lap and sit there while I petted her. Sometimes, she'd even fall asleep there. Sarah was always gentle, and I sometimes wanted to change her name to one that meant 'dove.' She did like to scratch me with her beak a lot, but that was her way of asking for treats. She also had the tendency to be 'jealous' of other chickens who were getting more attention than her. She was always sweet though, and for her gentleness and friendliness, I've never had a hen like her, and I don't think I ever will. I unexpectedly lost her on May 22, 2024, and I was absolutely devastated. She was my very special girl and forever will be.
Even as a chick, Sarah loved to cuddle up on me and was already being as sweet as she could be.
Sarah hated photoshoots, as one can see in this picture, but she was a very beautiful and unique hen.
BYC link to her memorial thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rip-sarah.1625247/
Smokey; One Big Orpington:
Smokey was a Lavender Orpington rooster. He was the extra chick I had gotten when I had gotten this batch and was the one my Mom had wanted. He was one of two Lavender Orpingtons that the lady that I got these chicks off from had, and to me, he looked like the better out of the two. He was always living in Eli's shadow, despite being a big guy, and I eventually rehomed him.
Smokey was very photogenic as a chick, and I captured some great pictures of him.
Smokey, originally named Sapphire, was always named after his color.
Turbulence; The One With the Beard:
Turbulence is an Olive Egger hen. When I got her as a chick, she was the cutest chick in the hatch with her extremely fluffy cheeks and feathered shanks. Being so cute, I assumed she was a cockerel at first, but much to my delight, she was a pullet. As she grew, she grew one of the most impressive beards I had ever seen on a chicken. Instead of the usual fluff, her beard was feathers like her hackles! They were long and impressive, and with such a beard, she drew in the attraction of my family. Unfortunately, much to my horror, my hen Valerie was not impressed. She had plucked Turbulance's amazing beard and have not allowed it to grow back since.
Turbulence was the cutest chick in her batch, and she knew it.
Up until her beard was plucked, Turbulence was the favorite by appearance by most of my family.
Valerie; Starter of Troubles:
Valerie is an Olive Egger hen. Of the three Olive Eggers that I got, she is the only one who actually laid an olive egg, thus that being the reason why I still have her. She has been nothing but trouble, which she started at an early age. When she was four months old, she laid her first egg, which was good, but shortly after, she went broody and I didn't have a rooster nor was looking to hatch. Soon after, she picked up the habit of feather plucking, particularly, beard plucking. Then at some point, she started mounting other hens, and she chose my crossbeak, Amber, as her 'favorite.' Getting a rooster about a year later stopped her on that last part, and Pinless Peepers has slowed her down a little on the feather plucking, but she still likes to be broody, even if she still lays her eggs while she's brooding just to stay out of broody jail.
Valerie was never cute, but her Splash markings are what caused me to get her.
Valerie often wore Pinless Peepers in an attempt to stop her and her naughty ways.
BYC link to a weird nail she had as a pullet:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/weird-nail-growth.1523304/
BYC link to her 'mounting' issue:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hen-mounting-other-hens.1569018/
BYC article that I wrote using her as the example on Pinless Peepers:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-to-apply-pinless-peepers.78669/
Victoria II; Never Reaching 'Show-Bird' Level:
Victoria II was a French Black Copper Marans hen. She was named after my hen, Victoria I, for she looked a lot like her. I had hoped she would reach my term called 'Show-Bird' as Victoria I failed to reach it due to a bee sting, but unfortunately, Victoria II never reached it either. Like Valerie, she became a beard-plucker, so in her first year during my Fall photoshoot, she was wearing Pinless Peepers. Then over the winter as the plucking became worse, she was soon plucked as well. She eventually molted, but her feathers never grew back the same. Victoria sadly passed away on November 15, 2023, and her feather issue remained undiagnosed.
Victoria II was named after Victoria I, and I had high hopes that she'd accomplish what Victoria I never was able to.
Though Victoria missed all other photoshoot opportunities, she did manage to get a good Christmas photoshoot.
There was a second batch of chicks in this year, but they are not included here. Someday I might finish this page, but as time passes, it becomes unlikely. This page was saved as a draft for quite some time and I figured it's about time to make it visible. ~March 25, 2025
These chickens are often referred to as my birthday birds, as I got them on my birthday, April 5, 2022. I got thirteen straight-run chicks that day, which consisted of four Orpingtons, four Olive Eggers, three Whiting True Blues, and two French Black Copper Marans.
(I have them listed in alphabetical order by their names, not breeds.)
Beatrix; A Slight Mix-Up:
Beatrix is a Whiting True Blue HEN. She is one of three WTB chicks I got and was supposed the rooster of the trio. As a chick, she was referred to as Marvalo's twin, as she was very similar in markings to Marvalo III, another WTB chick. Beatrix grew up much faster than the other two WTB chicks, which led me to think she was a cockerel. Plus, when she was around six weeks old, her little pea comb reddened. As maturity came, it became obvious that "Bobby," was indeed a "Beatrix." Unfortunately, when I was finally convinced that she was a she, it was after I had rehomed the cockerels of my birthday birds, so she became the reason why I didn't have a rooster. Sometime later, it was discovered that Beatrix had a Hairline Crossbeak, so her not being a rooster turned out to be a good thing after all.
Beatrix as a chick. She was very similar to Marvalo III as a chick, but as she aged, she stopped looking like her little "twin."
Beatrix is quite the beautiful hen, despite her having a well-hidden crossbeak.
Betty; Named After White:
Betty is a Lemon Cuckoo hen. She was named by my brother who named her after the actress, Betty White. Betty was one of two Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons and was the pullet of the two. At a young age, she learned a simple trick, which is to guess what hand the treat is in, and she lives by it. Whenever she thinks I'm hiding treats from her, she'll start scratching at me or my hands expecting me to give her some. Once, when she was brought to a public event, she showed off her trick to several children and even impressed the firefighters.
Betty as a chick. She dealt with health issues as she grew and treatment didn't help her much. Thankfully, she eventually outgrew the problem and now lives as a healthy hen.
Betty loves treats and is always looking for them. She is one of my friendliest hens.
Blair; She's Not A Marans:
Blair is an Olive Egger hen. She bears the resemblance to my French Black Copper Marans and even lays a dark-colored egg (not the olive-colored eggs she's supposed to lay). Her hackles are a bit lighter in color than the BCM, and it laces in the front. When I got Blair, she was small and appeared unhealthy, but something about her made me want to keep her. She was my thirteenth chick, despite me being supposed to only get twelve, and I wondered if she would survive to maturity. Surprisingly, she did and grew up to be a very healthy hen. She is one of my weird hens in both appearance and stance, and she offers a quiet personality.
Blair appeared sickly as a chick, but her health improved with age.
An Olive Egger who doesn't lay olive eggs takes more after the Black Copper Marans in her lineage than the Whiting True Blue.
Cody; A Cowardly Cockerel:
Cody is an Olive Egger cockerel. He was one of the first chicks I had picked and apparently was sex-linked. It didn't take me too long before I realized he was a cockerel, so I started shooing him away to avoid 'spoiling' him. He developed a skittish personality (which he would have had either way, as my other 'supposed' cockerels weren't skittish as him, despite being shooed away as well). I eventually rehomed him at a chicken swap and ended up regretting it. I was rehoming all my cockerels because I thought 'Bobby' (Beatrix) was a rooster. Had I known that Beatrix was an early maturing pullet, I would have kept him due to his small size.
Cody, an Olive Egger cockerel, was apparently sex-linked.
Cody was very skittish, which made it hard to catch him after a photo shoot.
Eli; The Gentleman:
Eli is a Lemon Cuckoo Orpington rooster. He was a very big cockerel and was a handsome fella. I picked him with Betty due to his color. He was lighter in color than Betty and I hoped that would mean his barring was more obvious. Unfortunately, the lighter color meant he was a cockerel as the Lemon Cuckoo is sex-linked. Eli grew to be a sweet-tempered cockerel who cared a lot for his flock. When my hens Beth II and Shiloh II began bullying his flock of 19, he was the one to stand up to them and defend his flock mates from the 'raptor-hens.' I later had to rehome Eli despite how much I wanted I Lemon Cuckoo rooster to match my Betty. He was going to be a huge rooster, and between a small hen (Marvalo II) in the flock and the grain amount he'd eat, I knew it was best to rehome him.
Out of Eli and Betty, Eli, pictured as a chick here, was my favorite.
Eli was very protective of his flock and would protect them from Shiloh (the blue hen in the back).
Marvalo III; Smallest of the Flock:
Marvalo III is a Whiting True Blue hen. She was named directly after Marvalo I for as a chick, she looked so much like Marvalo I that I couldn't think of naming her anything different. Marvalo III continued to look like Marvalo I even to maturity except for less copper in her hackles and she wasn't crossbeaked. Marvalo III is also much smaller than Marvalo I. In fact, she is the smallest standard-sized hen I have ever had. She is so small, that when my flock had Pinless Peepers, she wasn't able to wear them without them coming out. She has become very skittish amongst her flock mates due to being smaller than them all. She is friendly towards me and will come perch on my lap or even jump to my arm for safety.
Marvalo III looked so much like my first EE, Marvalo I, that I just had to name her after her.
Marvalo is the smallest in my flock and is at the bottom of the pecking order as a result.
Midnight; Midnight Majesty:
Midnight is a Black Split-Lavender Orpington hen. Like she is royalty, she has the full name, Midnight Majesty, though she's only ever called "Midnight." I had been wanting a Black Orpington for a while, so when I heard this seller who had these chicks had some, I was very excited. I picked Midnight as the only Black Orpington chick and hoped and prayed that she was a pullet (these chicks were all straight-run). I often referred to Midnight as "my baby," but as she grew, I worried that she was a cockerel due to her large size and her wattles reddening early, so I didn't spend as much time with her as I would have liked. Thankfully, she was a pullet and I was overjoyed. Midnight has become the most beautiful hen in my flock with her glorious fluff and shimmering black feathers. Her favorite thing is to perch on something that is low to the ground, even if it's my ankle when I'm sitting in the chicken yard.
Midnight was one of my favorite chicks.
Midnight Majesty; she definitely is one of my most impressive hens.
Phoebe; Lost Amongst Predators:
Phoebe was a French Black Copper Marans hen. When she was only three months old, I had nearly lost her forever. While I wasn't home, Phoebe had escaped and got chased off by my neighbor's cat, Brute. She hid somewhere on my neighbor's property for the night while everyone searched for her until sometime past dark. Foxes and cats were both active that night which led me to believe at least one of them had gotten her. Shockingly, the next day around noontime, Phoebe came walking out across the neighbor's yard unharmed! After that, the run was secured so she wouldn't escape and she never again spent another night outside. Sadly, she passed away a year and a half later, but I'm so thankful I got to have that extra time with her.
Despite going on a risky adventure at three months old, Phoebe was never the adventurous type before or after.
Phoebe often was a part of my photoshoots away from home, just as she was in this picture above.
My post after Phoebe was found:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-duckwings-flock-thread.1505879/post-25979234
BYC link of Phoebe's fatal illness:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hen-not-acting-well-poop-picture.1612128/
Sarah; The Only One Like Her:
Sarah was a Whiting True Blue hen. She was one of my all-time favorite hens due to her gentleness and the love she had for me. She'd often jump up on my lap and sit there while I petted her. Sometimes, she'd even fall asleep there. Sarah was always gentle, and I sometimes wanted to change her name to one that meant 'dove.' She did like to scratch me with her beak a lot, but that was her way of asking for treats. She also had the tendency to be 'jealous' of other chickens who were getting more attention than her. She was always sweet though, and for her gentleness and friendliness, I've never had a hen like her, and I don't think I ever will. I unexpectedly lost her on May 22, 2024, and I was absolutely devastated. She was my very special girl and forever will be.
Even as a chick, Sarah loved to cuddle up on me and was already being as sweet as she could be.
Sarah hated photoshoots, as one can see in this picture, but she was a very beautiful and unique hen.
BYC link to her memorial thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rip-sarah.1625247/
Smokey; One Big Orpington:
Smokey was a Lavender Orpington rooster. He was the extra chick I had gotten when I had gotten this batch and was the one my Mom had wanted. He was one of two Lavender Orpingtons that the lady that I got these chicks off from had, and to me, he looked like the better out of the two. He was always living in Eli's shadow, despite being a big guy, and I eventually rehomed him.
Smokey was very photogenic as a chick, and I captured some great pictures of him.
Smokey, originally named Sapphire, was always named after his color.
Turbulence; The One With the Beard:
Turbulence is an Olive Egger hen. When I got her as a chick, she was the cutest chick in the hatch with her extremely fluffy cheeks and feathered shanks. Being so cute, I assumed she was a cockerel at first, but much to my delight, she was a pullet. As she grew, she grew one of the most impressive beards I had ever seen on a chicken. Instead of the usual fluff, her beard was feathers like her hackles! They were long and impressive, and with such a beard, she drew in the attraction of my family. Unfortunately, much to my horror, my hen Valerie was not impressed. She had plucked Turbulance's amazing beard and have not allowed it to grow back since.
Turbulence was the cutest chick in her batch, and she knew it.
Up until her beard was plucked, Turbulence was the favorite by appearance by most of my family.
Valerie; Starter of Troubles:
Valerie is an Olive Egger hen. Of the three Olive Eggers that I got, she is the only one who actually laid an olive egg, thus that being the reason why I still have her. She has been nothing but trouble, which she started at an early age. When she was four months old, she laid her first egg, which was good, but shortly after, she went broody and I didn't have a rooster nor was looking to hatch. Soon after, she picked up the habit of feather plucking, particularly, beard plucking. Then at some point, she started mounting other hens, and she chose my crossbeak, Amber, as her 'favorite.' Getting a rooster about a year later stopped her on that last part, and Pinless Peepers has slowed her down a little on the feather plucking, but she still likes to be broody, even if she still lays her eggs while she's brooding just to stay out of broody jail.
Valerie was never cute, but her Splash markings are what caused me to get her.
Valerie often wore Pinless Peepers in an attempt to stop her and her naughty ways.
BYC link to a weird nail she had as a pullet:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/weird-nail-growth.1523304/
BYC link to her 'mounting' issue:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hen-mounting-other-hens.1569018/
BYC article that I wrote using her as the example on Pinless Peepers:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-to-apply-pinless-peepers.78669/
Victoria II; Never Reaching 'Show-Bird' Level:
Victoria II was a French Black Copper Marans hen. She was named after my hen, Victoria I, for she looked a lot like her. I had hoped she would reach my term called 'Show-Bird' as Victoria I failed to reach it due to a bee sting, but unfortunately, Victoria II never reached it either. Like Valerie, she became a beard-plucker, so in her first year during my Fall photoshoot, she was wearing Pinless Peepers. Then over the winter as the plucking became worse, she was soon plucked as well. She eventually molted, but her feathers never grew back the same. Victoria sadly passed away on November 15, 2023, and her feather issue remained undiagnosed.
Victoria II was named after Victoria I, and I had high hopes that she'd accomplish what Victoria I never was able to.
Though Victoria missed all other photoshoot opportunities, she did manage to get a good Christmas photoshoot.
There was a second batch of chicks in this year, but they are not included here. Someday I might finish this page, but as time passes, it becomes unlikely. This page was saved as a draft for quite some time and I figured it's about time to make it visible. ~March 25, 2025
Thanks for sharing!