Red Egg
Chirping
- May 1, 2021
- 19
- 39
- 79
I wanted to share the story of how I got my first hen and her life. I did mention some of this in my introduction but wanted to go into better detail here.
When I was in early to mid primary school, (I can't remember exactly when or how old I was) I couldn't go to swimming lessons without my grandma. Why? I dunno, I think I was just really shy. My grandma would come into the change rooms with me every time we went because I wouldn't go in otherwise.
My teacher at the time defiantly noticed, she had a chat to my grandma and they came to the agreement that if I finished the rest of swimming lessons without my grandma, she would give me two of her chickens. I was pretty excited!
I did it too! When swimming lessons were over I got two beautiful Cochin hens. One black and one yellow.
They were kept at my parents house at first, for like one day. My mother's dog got into the pen and killed the black one, we took the yellow one that I named Penny up to my grandparents that same day. The poor black Cochin only lasted one day, I don't remember how I reacted, but I think I was more worried about my remaining chicken. I was quite young, I don't think I completely understood what happened.
She lived a pretty good life despite me being to young to really properly care for her. My grandparents did most of the work.
It's funny how chickens don't care about their eggs until they decide they want to become mothers. I remember Penny only ever becoming broody once, and after some begging, my grandparents got her some fertilized eggs from my aunt.
When they hatched Penny had four beautiful chicks to care for. I don't know what breeds they were, non of them were Cochin eggs that's for sure. One of the chicks became ill a few days or so later and passed away. One of the chicks was a rooster and he grew into a real meanie. I'm not going to hide the truth, he only ended up that way because I was a stupid kid. If I could go back I'd change everything, I feel so bad every time I think about it.
My cousins and I would tease it and it would chase us. We eventually sent him out to my other grandparents small farm house as we couldn't keep roosters where I lived. The rooster at some point attacked one of my cousins as they were visiting... she had to get stitches and the rooster got put down. I felt and still do feel awful. A good rooster died because I was a dumb kid!
The other two chicks grew and died long before their mother. I didn't know why but if my grandparents knew anything about why they died they didn't tell me. Penny was not alone though, we had gotten another hen from our auntie before the last two of Penny's chicks passed away. For some reason I decided to call her Turkey.
Penny died maybe about four to five years ago now from old age. She stuck around much longer than all of the others and I still miss her. She was a beautiful chicken.
Turkey with Penny.
We got four more Cochin hens not long after. Well my grandpa did, I had no idea he was getting them until he showed them to me. These ones were bantam Cochins, two black, one white and one yellow. I jokingly called the small yellow one Half-a-Penny. We only have the two black ones now though. We also have what I believe is a New Hampshire but I'm not sure, and two big white... chickens, I don't know the breed.
Now at 23 I plan to start over. I will be getting my own flock soon and I will defiantly not make the same mistakes again. I have designed a hen house and after I have marked out a section of yard for them will be able to start building. I will post about my progress, I am super excited to start this journey. Thanks for reading!
When I was in early to mid primary school, (I can't remember exactly when or how old I was) I couldn't go to swimming lessons without my grandma. Why? I dunno, I think I was just really shy. My grandma would come into the change rooms with me every time we went because I wouldn't go in otherwise.
My teacher at the time defiantly noticed, she had a chat to my grandma and they came to the agreement that if I finished the rest of swimming lessons without my grandma, she would give me two of her chickens. I was pretty excited!
I did it too! When swimming lessons were over I got two beautiful Cochin hens. One black and one yellow.
They were kept at my parents house at first, for like one day. My mother's dog got into the pen and killed the black one, we took the yellow one that I named Penny up to my grandparents that same day. The poor black Cochin only lasted one day, I don't remember how I reacted, but I think I was more worried about my remaining chicken. I was quite young, I don't think I completely understood what happened.
She lived a pretty good life despite me being to young to really properly care for her. My grandparents did most of the work.
It's funny how chickens don't care about their eggs until they decide they want to become mothers. I remember Penny only ever becoming broody once, and after some begging, my grandparents got her some fertilized eggs from my aunt.
When they hatched Penny had four beautiful chicks to care for. I don't know what breeds they were, non of them were Cochin eggs that's for sure. One of the chicks became ill a few days or so later and passed away. One of the chicks was a rooster and he grew into a real meanie. I'm not going to hide the truth, he only ended up that way because I was a stupid kid. If I could go back I'd change everything, I feel so bad every time I think about it.
My cousins and I would tease it and it would chase us. We eventually sent him out to my other grandparents small farm house as we couldn't keep roosters where I lived. The rooster at some point attacked one of my cousins as they were visiting... she had to get stitches and the rooster got put down. I felt and still do feel awful. A good rooster died because I was a dumb kid!
The other two chicks grew and died long before their mother. I didn't know why but if my grandparents knew anything about why they died they didn't tell me. Penny was not alone though, we had gotten another hen from our auntie before the last two of Penny's chicks passed away. For some reason I decided to call her Turkey.
Penny died maybe about four to five years ago now from old age. She stuck around much longer than all of the others and I still miss her. She was a beautiful chicken.
Turkey with Penny.
We got four more Cochin hens not long after. Well my grandpa did, I had no idea he was getting them until he showed them to me. These ones were bantam Cochins, two black, one white and one yellow. I jokingly called the small yellow one Half-a-Penny. We only have the two black ones now though. We also have what I believe is a New Hampshire but I'm not sure, and two big white... chickens, I don't know the breed.
Now at 23 I plan to start over. I will be getting my own flock soon and I will defiantly not make the same mistakes again. I have designed a hen house and after I have marked out a section of yard for them will be able to start building. I will post about my progress, I am super excited to start this journey. Thanks for reading!
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