Hello all!
My name is Maria. I'm so happy to find this page with so many active members!
I was feeling really lonely in this chicken thing, here in Panama is really hard to find chicken lovers, people normally see chickens as food and food only, so I have nobody to talk about them.
Luckily I have a grandmother that had chickens when I was little, and when I decided that they were my pets, she was ok with my decision! I was the proud mom of 5 barred rock hens, 15 reddish hens, I don't know the breed's name in English and one special lady, don't know the breed name either, but she was white, fat and the loveliest chicken I have ever met, whenever I sat on the ground, she ran towards me and put her neck on my neck and stayed there, later one of the barred rock copy her, so there I was with one chicken on each side hugging me <3
So... years have passed, those beloved chickens passed away many years ago, but as I grow up I never had a pet chicken again, until a few months ago! Here cock fighting is a very common thing (I hate it), and one day, a poor skinny bleeding rooster appeared in the backyard, an American game fowl I believe, we took care or him and he turned into a handsome rooster, but the poor guy is afraid of people, at the beginning he ran away even if you looked at him, now you can be at 2 meters from him, but never closer, I consider that as a progress. Days went by and some friends of grandma brought 3 hens so that the new handsome guy wasn't alone, two are American game and the other one is crossbreed, they don't want to be near people either. A month ago (more or less), one of the hens disappeared, we thought she was dead or stolen, but she appeared with 2 cute baby chicks, we panicked because there are a lots of cats around the house, and here comes the ugly part of the story, the original owner took the family to his house so the cat wouldn't eat the baby chicks, but another hen killed the mother and he gave us back the babies, I was visiting my grandmother that day (we live 4 hours apart), and obviously, that was instant love! They were afraid of me initially, but by the first night they were sleeping on my lap, the next day I think they believed I was their mother, they followed me everywhere and they ran to my hand wherever I put it to find food, they snuggle in my hand and always stayed close or under me. Sadly, I was leaving 4 days later, so I fixed a brooder we had and leave them there "safe", an hour later (don't cry), I received a call... A **** cat killed one of the babies, I cried, cried, cried some more, cried again, I was even sadder when I though about the lonely baby chick, grandma told me that the poor thing wouldn't stop chirping, gladly, the next day, a grandma's friend came with 3 barred rock babies, and that instantly calmed my penguin (yep, I named the orphan penguin).
What I learned from this experience:
I think I over extended! But now you know all my chicken history! =)
I'm out of practice with my English, sorry if something didn't make sense =(
Hope you have a wonderful new year!
I woke him up, so he is looking at me saying "why woman, why?"
First knock out
The handsome guy and father
This is the eye contact I'm telling you
More eye contact and the new guys, center and right
Sizes are completely different (penguin is like a week older)
I think he is comfortable in my hand
More eye contact! He wasn't happy with that hen, not one bit
My name is Maria. I'm so happy to find this page with so many active members!
I was feeling really lonely in this chicken thing, here in Panama is really hard to find chicken lovers, people normally see chickens as food and food only, so I have nobody to talk about them.
Luckily I have a grandmother that had chickens when I was little, and when I decided that they were my pets, she was ok with my decision! I was the proud mom of 5 barred rock hens, 15 reddish hens, I don't know the breed's name in English and one special lady, don't know the breed name either, but she was white, fat and the loveliest chicken I have ever met, whenever I sat on the ground, she ran towards me and put her neck on my neck and stayed there, later one of the barred rock copy her, so there I was with one chicken on each side hugging me <3
So... years have passed, those beloved chickens passed away many years ago, but as I grow up I never had a pet chicken again, until a few months ago! Here cock fighting is a very common thing (I hate it), and one day, a poor skinny bleeding rooster appeared in the backyard, an American game fowl I believe, we took care or him and he turned into a handsome rooster, but the poor guy is afraid of people, at the beginning he ran away even if you looked at him, now you can be at 2 meters from him, but never closer, I consider that as a progress. Days went by and some friends of grandma brought 3 hens so that the new handsome guy wasn't alone, two are American game and the other one is crossbreed, they don't want to be near people either. A month ago (more or less), one of the hens disappeared, we thought she was dead or stolen, but she appeared with 2 cute baby chicks, we panicked because there are a lots of cats around the house, and here comes the ugly part of the story, the original owner took the family to his house so the cat wouldn't eat the baby chicks, but another hen killed the mother and he gave us back the babies, I was visiting my grandmother that day (we live 4 hours apart), and obviously, that was instant love! They were afraid of me initially, but by the first night they were sleeping on my lap, the next day I think they believed I was their mother, they followed me everywhere and they ran to my hand wherever I put it to find food, they snuggle in my hand and always stayed close or under me. Sadly, I was leaving 4 days later, so I fixed a brooder we had and leave them there "safe", an hour later (don't cry), I received a call... A **** cat killed one of the babies, I cried, cried, cried some more, cried again, I was even sadder when I though about the lonely baby chick, grandma told me that the poor thing wouldn't stop chirping, gladly, the next day, a grandma's friend came with 3 barred rock babies, and that instantly calmed my penguin (yep, I named the orphan penguin).
What I learned from this experience:
- Never ever build a brooder with any hole big enough to fit a cat paw. Never!
- There is a huge difference between American game chickens and any other breed I had, huge! First, this American game do not sleep! I was used to the eat/sleep/play/sleep cycle, it doesn't apply to them, they will only sleep if you grab them and put them to sleep by closing your hands. This guys are fast learning, brilliant, lovely and stubborn but the connection you make with this guys is unique, they even look at you in the eye when they are complaining or when you come back to them. I must say I'm really impressed with this breed
I think I over extended! But now you know all my chicken history! =)
I'm out of practice with my English, sorry if something didn't make sense =(
Hope you have a wonderful new year!
I woke him up, so he is looking at me saying "why woman, why?"
First knock out
The handsome guy and father
This is the eye contact I'm telling you
More eye contact and the new guys, center and right
Sizes are completely different (penguin is like a week older)
I think he is comfortable in my hand
More eye contact! He wasn't happy with that hen, not one bit
Maria 
It's been lovely getting to know some about you and your flock. Also what great pics you have posted. Lots of very enthusiastic and chatty chicken keepers here so you will not be lonely any more.
