Just want to introduce myself. I am a new chicken mom as of spring of this year. All my babies were gifts from my husband. I originally started with nine chicks. And 13 weeks ago I got four new chicks. To Colombian Wyandottes (Spaghetti and Meatball) and to Silver Laced Wyandottes (Rotini and Ziti). My new chicks have helped me with the grieving process of losing my husband on August 30th. I was even a little afraid to put them outside for the first time. Let's see... I have quite of a menagerie of breeds I have a Splash Marans (Nugget), a White Crested Splash Polish (Dumpling), a Golden Cuckoo Marans (Kiev), a Brown Orphington (Noodle), a Cream Leg Bar (Fajita), a Sexlink (Katsu), Olive Egger (Marbella), Mottled Ancona (Waffles) and a Bieleflder (Tika). My husband named all of my girls.
So the reason I actually popped on tonight. I have actually been meaning to join, just life got away from me and I never did. I was locking up my cabin Chicken Coop tonight and Nugget was standing in front of me and I said to myself oh shoot (that wasn't exactly the word I used but...) then Dumpling stood next to nugget and I said oh crap again wasn't exactly the word I used. You know when you just assume something is one thing because you're told it's one thing and you're just a little bit naive and you were just learning so you kind of just you know went with the flow of things. I noticed Spurs on Nuggets and Dumpling. A little backstory on Nugget. Nugget was extremely ill when he/she was a baby chick and I kind of carried the baby all around with me and held. So Nugget became a very spoiled kind of bratty kid you know. So Nugget is always on my shoulder, my head, and my arm is as gentle with me as could be. Dizzy Dumpling on the other hand has always been a little bit more aggressive chased me a few times but just put it up to the spazzy breed of the Polish chicken.
So I talked to my friend who has owned chickens for 20 years showed her the pictures I took. She said those are definitely rooster legs, those are talons. As I was talking to her I I began to think of things you know like, I never ever saw Nugget or Dumpling in the nesting boxes. Just little hints of things. One time I forgot to latch the top latch on my coop and my outside cat got in, he was more curious as to what's in the rest of there. He's been in the coop with me he wouldn't hurt the chickens. Needless to say they were roosting at night I woke up the next morning to white feathers everywhere. Seeing the talents tonight made perfect sense because dumpling is a white crested Splash polish and nugget is a Splash Marans. White feathers were all over the coop/run. So they must have chased my cat Captain striker out of the roosting area and run.
I just feel stupid I can't believe I didn't notice their legs, never thought of anything not seeing them in the nesting boxes. My other problem is is my one Colombian Wyandotte spaghetti is also a rooster but he is only 14 weeks old currently. I don't want to get rid of him but Nugget and Dumpling have formed a coalition I think and they were raised together. My friend does not think they will accept Spaghetti. I don't think they will either. However spaghetti has really helped me with the loss of my husband I literally got them right after my husband passed. My friend is going to take him and I can go visit him anytime I want she has a very large farm and sanctuary it just kills me to split up him and his sister. Who 2 weeks ago developed scissor beak from flying into a pole and injuring her beak. I'm just so upset about the whole situation. I'm more mad at myself that I didn't notice that I had two roosters. I even thought to myself and my friend why are my girls feathers not growing back from molting. Apparently it's not for molting. It's from the boys! Funny thing is, is I still haven't heard any crowing. And in city limits I'm not allowed to have any roosters. What are the chances that neither one of them crow. They're going on 9 months old by the way.
The first picture is Nugget on the roosting bar I was trying to get a good picture of the talons that have grown in and I never noticed.
The second one is Dumpling those are the beginning of his talents as you can see and I also noticed that his hair is getting longer I should have known, I should have known.
I guess I can blame it on losing my husband in August and grief.
to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
