Black Acres: The chickens that saved me

[The-White-Elephant]

Y’all. I’m so busted! The pair of breeder Seramas that were due to ship January 10; you know, the ones I haven’t told my husband about?! Well, THEY’RE HERE! My mail carrier showed up with them today. I had no idea he’d shipped them early. I was NOT prepared. I planned to get through Christmas and then tell my husband and acquire all the needed supplies to properly keep delicate Seramas in the Winter months. I had NOTHING. No cage, no extra feeder or waterer. No heat source. I went into full panic mode. I quickly set up the play pen, placed them in it and hopped in my car.
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Off to town I went, in search of all the items I needed. Quick stop for a cage, then across town to TSC for a heat plate, feed dish and water dish. Secured all I need for now and headed home.

Got the cage set up and filled the bottom with bedding. The set up the heat plate and put out food and water. Once the heat plate was warm, I transferred my beautiful Seramas to their new home. Whew. What. A. Day.

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they are gorgeous! love the coloring! I also like how the rooster looks 2x bigger than the hen I really want to get some someday. Did you give them names yet?

Early Christmas present! Merry Christmas!

 

[blackacres]

they are gorgeous! love the coloring! I also like how the rooster looks 2x bigger than the hen I really want to get some someday. Did you give them names yet?

Early Christmas present! Merry Christmas!

Thank you. I’m in love with them! No names yet. I’ll have to spend some time with them and learn their personalities. I’m sure I’ll come up with something.

 

[The-White-Elephant]

Thank you. I’m in love with them! No names yet. I’ll have to spend some time with them and learn their personalities. I’m sure I’ll come up with something.

Please tell me when you name them! and what their personalities are!

 

[blackacres]

Just went to lock up the outdoor coop and found this! It was in the banty coop. I have 3 laying, but this egg isn’t the same color as the ones they always give me. It’s a bit darker. I think my Silkies are all too young to lay, so I’m stumped. No idea who laid the fairy egg.

Photo of the fairy egg with some of my regular banty eggs for comparison

 

[The-White-Elephant]

Just went to lock up the outdoor coop and found this! It was in the banty coop. I have 3 laying, but this egg isn’t the same color as the ones they always give me. It’s a bit darker. I think my Silkies are all too young to lay, so I’m stumped. No idea who laid the fairy egg.
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Photo of the fairy egg with some of my regular banty eggs for comparison

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That’s a keeper! Sometimes chickens lay smaller or bigger eggs than usual, but wow! We had that as well one time! The chickens didnt lay yet, and one day, after it snowed a bit, we found one about that size! It must be one of your chicken’s first egg!

 

[blackacres]

Introducing “The Littles”

I have 10 littles in the banty coop. Five Silkies, one showgirl and four Serama mixes.

I’ll start with the Silkies.

This is DJ, my satin smooth silkie. She is named after my oldest daughter, Dakota Jade because she’s sassy, classy and a little smart assy. She’s my favorite of the littles. She comes running to me as soon as she hears me near the pen.

This is Chicken Little. The runt of the bunch, hence the name.

This is Kid Rock. She garnered her name when her poof was growing in crazy and she looked like she had a rockstar hair do.

This is the largest of the littles and, clearly, a cockerel. He doesn’t have a name though.

And then there’s this fella. Also a cockerel with no name. He’s hard to get pictures of because he’s generally trying to keep me away. *Edit to add, he shall be called Juan*

 

[blackacres]

Meet the showgirl, Nigel. Nigel was named before I started to suspect that he may actually be a she. Silkies and showgirls can be hard to tell. Naked Neck Nigel is a sweet bird. Doesn’t like to be touched but loves to hang out right beside me and eat from my hand.

 

[blackacres]

And now the mutts. Someone posted they wanted to relocate some of their Seramas due to having too many. I knew nothing of Seramas except that I adored their tiny stature. So, without researching, I jumped at the opportunity to get them. She told me they were rare Seramas because some of them had rose combs. I drove almost 6 hours, round trip to pick up five Seramas. When I met her, we were chatting away, she placed the box in my back seat and opened it to check on them. She got one out, called her Cinderella and showed her to me. She was beautiful. She placed her back in the box and closed my door. I handed her the $$$ and hurriedly got in my vehicle to start my drive back home.

When I got home, I took them to their coop and let them out of the box. Four. There were only four. What the heck? I paid for five. How could I have been so naive as to not check before paying? I snapped a few quick pictures and left them be to settle. I joined a Serama group and posted my proud new Seramas. In less than two minutes, I had my first reply. I was expecting gushing over their cuteness. Nope! It said, “those are not Seramas. Seramas don’t have rose combs.” What?! Off to Google I went. Sure as sh!t, she was right! I’d been had. No wonder the lady kept me talking and distracted by “Cinderella” the whole time. She shorted me a bird and sold me mutts. I felt SO dumb.

I was more upset at myself for not doing my research on the breed and not checking the birds than I was with her. Sure, she scammed me, but my own lack of knowledge is what let it happen. I decided after quarantine they would be housed with the Silkies and live out their little mutt lives here anyway. They’re super sweet and no one else would spoil them the way I do anyway. Without further ado, here are the mutts.

Jeffrey Dahmer. My favorite male in the littles pen. He alerts the flock when he hears or sees anything, even when it’s not a threat. He’s always first in line for treats but he takes them and then drops them for his ladies. He never eats until he knows all the ladies are out of the coop and know it’s feeding time. And he’s just so stinking cute!

And the there are Jeffries ladies. None of them have names. Not even “Cinderella” is called Cinderella as it reminds me of my ineptness. I don’t have great pics of them because they’re super skittish.

 

[LavenderDaFlerf]

Following.

 

[LavenderDaFlerf]

How did your hubby react to the two seramas that shipped early?