rowankelling

I was born in Seattle, Washington in 2005. I have a younger brother and a great mom and dad. In 2015, we moved to Billings, Montana. At first I hated it, but I got used to it after a while. I still miss Seattle sometimes, but that's okay. If it wasn't for moving to Billings, I never would have discovered how awesome chickens are! We kept chickens in Seattle, and when we moved to Billings, we got them again! We have had more than 20 different hens. When I was about 14, I really became interested in chickens. So for my 15th birthday I got four little chicks! It was 2020, the year of COVID-19, so I had plenty of time at home to take care of them.

And, of course, a little about my hens! Listed are their names and breeds (which have been determined to the best of my knowledge).

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These three are the oldest. They are, of course, the ones in charge:
Goldie - Ameraucana
Pumpkin Spice - Welsummer
Bark - Rhode Island Red (Edit (2022): Bark has now passed away)

Goldie and Bark came with another hen named Peregrine. My brother loves Goldie. He says she was the first chicken to set foot in our yard. She is getting old and her health is declining, unfortunately, but she is still a lively, happy hen. She is amazing! I'm so thankful to have her. She is very small, but she is the boss!

Bark is getting older and I'm pretty sure she doesn't lay, but that's okay, because she is the nicest (and loudest) bird ever! She will go to sleep on your lap if you help her get comfortable. The other bird that they came with, Peregrine, was unfortunately killed in a nasty hailstorm.

Pumpkin came with two other birds; Barbara "Babs" Coal, a Barred Plymouth Rock; and Snippy Snowpants, a White Leghorn. Babs had an impacted/sour crop much of her life and passed away when we tried to empty it. Snippy was a great hen who laid massive eggs. We called them torpedoes. She died mysteriously along with two other hens.

These two are twins:
Duck - New Hampshire Red
Goose - New Hampshire Red
(Edit (2022): we had to give these two away because they bullied Missy, Matilda, Triscuit, and Speedy)

My brother found them on his way home from school one day. There was also another triplet, dead, in the box with them.

And, of course, the ones I got for my birthday:
Missy - Light Brahma (Edit (2022): Unfortunately, my Missy passed away at only 17 months old)
Matilda - Golden Laced Wyandotte
Triscuit - Speckled Sussex
Speedy - Calico Princess

It has been a wonderful experience to get to raise these girls. They're already almost as big as the adults, and I expect them to begin laying soon. It's amazing to see them grow so fast!

2022 EDIT:

Missy lived to be 17 months old, and although her life was short, I had many special moments with her. She inspired me to love chickens and had such a kind soul. I still have a little memorial for her in my room.

Speedy, Matilda, and Triscuit are doing just fine. They are still laying okay.

And . . . we got new chicks!

Yes, that's right! A little over two years after we got the first four chicks (Missy, Matilda, Speedy and Triscuit), we have gotten four new chickens! Their names are:
Puscas (California White)
Taco (Buff Orpington)
Luna (Black Australorp)
Rosie (Barred Plymouth Rock)

They have brought even more joy into my life and are irresistibly cute! I love having lots of chickens, and they have brought our flock up to nine chickens. I am raising them with the lessons I learned from raising the first four in mind. I am integrating them earlier, more gradually, and it is going better than before (Speedy is the only really aggressive adult, and I think the problem in 2020 was just that Duck and Goose were just plain bullies).

Summer is close and I can't wait to spend it with my girls!

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Thanks for reading about me and my flock!