Recently we decided to take the plunge and get some birds for our backyard. Our neighbor across the alley has them, and they are quiet (mostly) and discreet, and the thought of fresh eggs tempted us too much to say no. We ordered a prefab coop, and six hens from My Pet Chicken.

But before the chicks got here, we ended up being fortunate enough to meet some very kind people and ended up with six coturnix quail and a white silkie hen. We brought the silkie home in a box, which I put in the back seat with my almost four year old son. Needless to say, before we made it home, he had her out of the box! But she is so sweet and patient, she rode home in his lap.







He named her Scully, and she has been a great source of joy for him. We put her in a pen with the coturnix, which we got later that same day. I know it is controversial to put chickens and quail together, but everything has worked out just fine. Scully has decided that she is a quail, and the quail call for her if we let her out to roam around the back yard.