They all look alike...

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DazeGoneBy

DazeGoneBy

Chirping
8 Years
Jul 25, 2011
212
14
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About 2 weeks ago, we drove an hour out to a chicken farm to buy our first chicks. We knew which breeds we wanted, so we walked the farm with the chicken lady and she took us to different pens and caught one of each for us.

The Buff Orphington was about 1.5 months older than the other two: a 2-week old Delaware and a 3-week old Dominicker. The Buff was so sweet and gentle and let us hold her with no flapping or squaking. We took to her instantly. There were about 35 in her pen, so we felt like we got a great one. The other two were too young to really tell about their personalities, and there were about 100 or so of each of them. We just took what she scooped up.

In the last 2 weeks, the Buff, who we named "Aunt B" grew on us even more. Then, about 5 days ago, we noticed that she was closing her eyes during the day, and then just keeping one eye closed. So, we researched and figured maybe she had a respiratory problem.

So, we called the chicken lady we got her from, and she said, "I'd be happy to replace that chick."

We said, "NOOOOO!
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This is Aunt B. We don't want another one!"

I'm sure she was laughing at us, as she looked out onto her farm of at least 1,000 chickens. But, she said, "Well, bring her back out here and let me give her some antibiotics and see if I can fix her up."

Aunt B has been at her place for 5 days now, and we just got the call that she is doing great. We'll pick her up Friday.

We love our Aunt B.

A small, secret part of my heart wonders if this is like telling your kid that the goldfish was just "sleeping" and look, he's all better the next day! I hope we get *Aunt B* back.
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After all, this is our first chicken, and we haven't spent enough time to notice any tale-tell physical marks. If we got the old switcheroo, would we even be able to tell?
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I hope Aunt B recovers.
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I think you will be able to tell her apart from another one, it's almost like telling two dogs apart, there is no other one like them. Good Luck!
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Ditto.

When I first started with chickens, I deliberately chose different breeds because I was absolutely positive I wouldn't be able to tell 'em apart otherwise. Since then, I've had a few duplicates join the flock, and it's not all that difficult to tell individual chickens from others.... for a while, I had to see the pairs or trios together to do so, but now I am able to tell who it is pretty quickly.
 
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Thanks for the welcome! This place is such a fabulous resource!

My husband seems convinced we'd be able to tell, but my thought is...she's gone back to the farm, been kept isolated this time, AND without all our loving, hands-on petting and treats. So, being so young herself still, she might have a change of behavior thinking that this is not a temporary situation, but her new reality. I guess a timeout in isolation might do that...

We'll see I guess. I'll report back.

The funny thing is we are headed out tomorrow to pick her up on the way to my mother-in-law's house for the weekend. My mother-in-law lives 4 hours away, and we usually bring the dog with us, but this time, she told us to also bring the chicks (and their temporary housing crates) with us so she can enjoy watching them in her yard this weekend.

These will be some well-travelled chicks!
 
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UPDATE: We got *Aunt B.* back!

Even more challenging to determine if it was her was that when we got back to the chicken farm, nobody was home...they had all driven into town.

Since we'd been there before, we walked to the area where she kept supplies, and I found a dog crate with a buff the right age in a separate area, and when I walked up and said Hi, she perked up and came right over. I opened it up, and picked her up like I used to hold her. I pet the top of her head, and she snuggled into me with her head, kind of worming it side-to-side. When I pit my finger under her chin, she stroked her whole neck out and down over my finger. That is how I knew, without a doubt that I had Aunt B. Back. When Aunt B. did this back when we first got her, I had thought ALL chickens did that. But during the last week, as I held the other two chicks I realized that they did not.

We waited for about 15 minutes, and my hubby called her cell phone, and the chicken lady confirmed it was Aunt B in that kennel,a nd said we could go ahead and take her home.

What a happy reunion! She is now re-establishing pecking order, but she is such a sweet bird, I'm glad she is the one in charge!

My husband can always tell when he is holding ClaraBell, when she is about to poop. So, I guess that is how he could tell her apart from other chicks.

So, I wonder, what little funny thing does your favorite chicken do that would make you know them anywhere, without a doubt?
 
I'm glad you got her back!
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My Favorite chicken gets jealous when I pick up another chicken, when I put them down she runs up and pecks their head!
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She has a voice that is demanding that you pick her up, and give her worms, I would know her voice anywhere.
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She runs and pecks the heads of those you've petted? Too funny! I've got the smilies in my head, of the one happy they got attention, and Ms. Jealous flying over to set them straight...
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We are having the best time with our girls.
 
your girls will become the best pets around.

I have a White Cochin 12 week old that is like your buff. she stretches her neck waaaaaaaayyyyyyy out to be scratched. she will just plop down in my lap if i sit down on the grass with her. lazy nut case. I just love her. I have a rescue hen named May that gets jealous of the others as well if they get attention. all of my 8 adults 4 pulletss and 3 eggs under a broody I can tell apart. (Yea, the eggs... i have them labeled! lol) each has their own personality, walk, stance, gate, etc. enough time with them and you could pick them out of a crowd no problem. I could pick my Bird's eyes out of anywhere. When he looks at me, you can just see right inside him and wonder what he is thinking.

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ccaveness, my andalusian hen "talks" to me everytime I go out. It's kind of like bellyaching and grumbling about something under her breath. She's like "BaaDaaa daaa daa daaa, berrr derrr derr derr"
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She also leans into my hand when I bend down to check for eggs and just leans there while I pet her crop area. She also sits on everyone's eggs in the nest box multiple times a day and I have to chase her out and she repeats the grumbling conversation...She is hilarious and I would know Beatrix anywhere.
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