HorseGirlAbby's flock thread!

[HorseGirlAbby]

I figured I'd start a thread for my flock, as I haven't formally introduced them yet. I can't promise to update very often, but I'll try!
First, the original six, bought March 2017.
Peeper, a Mottled Java hen. Peeper is the queen of the coop, and gets very jealous if I don't give her enough attention. Like get-on-the-roost-and-squawk-in-my-face jealous. It gets a bit annoying. Here are a few photos of Peeper! She thinks she's a model, and I love taking pictures of her.

The next original hen is Colleen, a Columbian Wyandotte. Colleen is second-in-command, and never lets anyone forget it. She loves to cuddle, and clucks loudly whenever anyone touches her on the back.

Number three is Nancy, bought as an Ameraucana, but definitely an EE. She's very friendly and sweet to people, but mean to some of the lower class chickens. I don't have many good pictures of her, as she moves very fast, but here are a few!

Next is Alice, a Buff Brahma hen. Sadly, she passed away in the summer of 2020, and is no longer with us. She was the sweetest hen, never minding being picked up or petted, and loved hugs. Here are a few pictures in memoriam.

Number five is Goldilocks, Nancy's sister. She's an EE who loves cuddles! Look at that fluffy little face! Who could resist?

Last, but not least, is Baroness, the Barnevelder. (She would be so mad to realize she was last!) She is a rather haughty hen, and takes the care of her precious feathers very seriously. She also lays beautiful dark brown eggs.

Anyway, if you made it to the end, congratulations! In the next few days, I'll add the other hens, and the rooster, who deserves a post of his own.
Thanks!
~Abby

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Here's the happy post! The six 2018 chickens still living.
Delaware, a Delaware, obviously. I know, it's kind of a boring, uninspired name, but it's grown on me! Del is a funny hen. Last fall, when she was molting, she got terrified of the other chickens, and took to hiding up in the nesting boxes. She has a crooked neck, so maybe that was part of it. She can get around and do normal chicken stuff, and she's been a lot better about staying out of the nesting boxes lately!

Dover, is Delaware's sister, who has another such creative name! I was on a roll. Dover is a funny hen. She was egg-bound or something last summer, but fully recovered and lays eggs now, albeit funny shaped ones! She's not very friendly, and hates being picked up. She makes cute noises, though, and likes to be the lookout hen.

The next hen is my EE Gidget, who hasn't laid an egg for two years. She molted in 2019 and hasn't laid since. She has absolutely no problems, except bullying Delaware. She is also one of the cutest EEs I've ever seen.

Next, my other 2018 EE, Little Nancy. She's named after Nancy. Like I said, I'm not that creative! @Callender Girl, she is the one who gets on my back if I forget about her for one second! She lays brown eggs, but only when she wants to.

Next up is Silver, a Silver-laced Wyandotte. She's not a very friendly hen, but loves to eat food out of my hand. She has a serious obsession. Whenever I even put my hand near the feeder, she is right there.

Lastly is Silver's sister, Sprinkles. It's all right if you can't tell them apart, not even my brothers can. They are very different, though. Sprinkles is a lot fatter, and looks more out of proportion than Silver does. She also is more white.

 

[NC_Quail]

@NC_Quail, I know you're lurking here somewhere, so I didn't tag you.

You bet! I’m always around somewhere!

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

@AmeraucanaHank @Bakbuk @Fuchsia @Wild Claws @Lovely Lettie @The-White-Elephant @Chicken Quest @NC_Quail come see!

Here they are! I debated pulling a Bukky and waiting a week, but decided not to.
This is Charlotte, one of the EE's.

Charlotte and Bean, one of the Welsummers.

Penny, Welsummer number two.

Cleo, short for Cleopatra, the second EE. She's really skittish, so it was hard to get a good picture of her. She's the black and gold one in the back.

Charlotte again, because she's so stinking cute!

I hoped that the EEs would actually be Ameraucanas, but didn't really expect them to be. They are adorable anyways, though! And yes, we've named them all. Lucy named Bean, and our Mom named the others.

 

[MGG]

I figured I'd start a thread for my flock, as I haven't formally introduced them yet. I can't promise to update very often, but I'll try!
First, the original six, bought March 2017.
Peeper, a Mottled Java hen. Peeper is the queen of the coop, and gets very jealous if I don't give her enough attention. Like get-on-the-roost-and-squawk-in-my-face jealous. It gets a bit annoying. Here are a few photos of Peeper! She thinks she's a model, and I love taking pictures of her.
View attachment 3043760
View attachment 3043761View attachment 3043762View attachment 3043763
The next original hen is Colleen, a Columbian Wyandotte. Colleen is second-in-command, and never lets anyone forget it. She loves to cuddle, and clucks loudly whenever anyone touches her on the back.
View attachment 3043766View attachment 3043769View attachment 3043771
Number three is Nancy, bought as an Ameraucana, but definitely an EE. She's very friendly and sweet to people, but mean to some of the lower class chickens. I don't have many good pictures of her, as she moves very fast, but here are a few!
View attachment 3043774View attachment 3043775View attachment 3043776
Next is Alice, a Buff Brahma hen. Sadly, she passed away in the summer of 2020, and is no longer with us. She was the sweetest hen, never minding being picked up or petted, and loved hugs. Here are a few pictures in memoriam.
View attachment 3043780View attachment 3043781View attachment 3043782View attachment 3043783
Number five is Goldilocks, Nancy's sister. She's an EE who loves cuddles! Look at that fluffy little face! Who could resist?
View attachment 3043786View attachment 3043787View attachment 3043788View attachment 3043789
Last, but not least, is Baroness, the Barnevelder. (She would be so mad to realize she was last!) She is a rather haughty hen, and takes the care of her precious feathers very seriously. She also lays beautiful dark brown eggs.
View attachment 3043796View attachment 3043797View attachment 3043798View attachment 3043799
Anyway, if you made it to the end, congratulations! In the next few days, I'll add the other hens, and the rooster, who deserves a post of his own.
Thanks!
~Abby

Awww! They're all lovely. I think Alice is my favorite though, that's too bad she passed.
Can't wait to see more of them!

 

[Callender Girl]

Peeper is GORGEOUS! Sorry about Alice.

My Columbian Wyandotte, Valentina, is the one I ALWAYS accuse if I feel a chicken leap onto my back when I'm bending down outside. She also races along beside me when I'm outdoors -- just in case I might have a treat.

Thanks for sharing great photos!

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

All right, the post you've all been waiting for! (Well, maybe not, but that's okay too.)
We got the next batch of chicks in 2018, ten of them. Here are the ones that aren't with us anymore. Sorry if it's a sad post, but I figured I should say it. I won't say much about them, just their name and a picture.
Amber, an Amber-white

Pearl, her sister

Sylvia, a Silver-laced Wyandotte

Jumpy, an Easter Egger

Next post will be happier, I promise!

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Here's James Beard, the rooster! We named him after the cook, and because he has a beard, we thought it was very fitting. He is a purebred Blue Ameraucana. He's not friendly, and has a healthy respect for humans, which was great, as we got him off of Craigslist, and had no idea what we were getting. He's nice to his hens, and has never attacked a person in his life. Without further ado, let me present to you: Mr. Beard!!!
Him the day after we got him. He had such puffy cheeks!

And him today, with pecked out cheek puffs. Colleen was so jealous she pecked all the feathers out.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

The next generation was hatched by Peeper, and all eight eggs hatched. I was so happy! Of course, half turned out to be roosters, three of which are currently in freezer camp. The other's demise was more sad. We put him in with the hens and Mr. Beard, and he died while we were gone over Christmas, from lack of food and water. I was so mad at myself. It was preventable! The tractor, where he had been, wasn't very sheltered, but he wasn't getting along with the other chickens, and at least would've been able to eat and drink. The four pullets are doing well, and all are laying now, after nine months. Lazy things. Here are some pictures of all of them! The girls all lay green or blue eggs.
Longtail, EE mix. Longtail was a nice rooster, but a little too friendly, and probably would've gotten aggressive later on.

Blackie, EE mix. Blackie, on the other hand, was scared of people, and probably the best rooster. He was also the biggest and the handsomest.

Pepper, EE mix. Pepper was the scary rooster. You'd go in the tractor, and he'd be posturing and trying to herd you away. He never actually attacked, but it was enough to keep you on your toes.

Tiny, SLW mix. Tiny was the runt, the needy one, who never got enough to eat and was always skinny. He was the one with the sad story.

Holly, EE mix. Holly was the second one to start laying eggs, and she's the only one who lays blue ones. She's very friendly, and loves to snuggle.

Sue, Delaware mix. Sue was the first to start laying, and she took over the nesting boxes. You are seriously risking a hand if you try to see if she's sitting on an egg. I hope she never goes broody!

Ivy, SLW mix. Ivy was the last to start laying, at nine months. She's a very cuddly hen, but big! She and her sister, Mo, look like twins.

Mo, SLW mix. Mo is, well, Mo. She doesn't have much of a personality, poor thing! She's not flighty, but she's not friendly, and she doesn't mind being petted. She just kind of...is. However, she has the fluffiest beard!!!

There's the last installment in who's-who!

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

I figured I'd say a bit about my setup. The chickens live in their house and fully enclosed run 24/7, as there are too many hawks around to think about letting them free-range, though I'd love too. Sometimes I let a few of them out for some supervised grazing time, which they love. They have to be bribed to come inside, though!
This is their house, with the smaller, movable tractor to the right.

My Dad and brothers built most of it, and I helped a little. It's 12 feet by 14 feet, with a small entryway to store food and shavings. The area under the roost is closed off, to collect droppings and supposedly keep the chickens out of the poop. Of course it doesn't work. Sue dust bathing in the poop:

The nest boxes are along one wall, and the roosts on the other. We later put a cover on the nest boxes, to keep certain chickens from sleeping on them.
Occupied nest boxes:

With the cover:

The roosts are two two-by-fours, with the wider side up. There's plenty of room for even the most territorial chickens, even allowing for chicken math.

The run is 16' x 16', and fully enclosed. Within the first week, all of the green grass had turned to dirt. There's even a little trough all around the outside, where the dodos stick their heads out.

Anyway, that's all for today!