My very first chickens/flock - now 3 1/2 months old *pic heavy*

beausonge

Songster
8 Years
Feb 11, 2011
403
14
161
Kelso, WA
Hi All,

I have a neighbor who has a flock of 2 year old layers. She wanted some new chickens and I wanted to try chickens. I wanted about 6 chickens and she wanted another 4. Then we ordered from McMurray hatchery - minimum order 25. My neighbor said she could handle the extra 10 chickens. So we ordered 25 chickens from McMurray. It was early February and it was a really bad week for shipping. It didn't help that the weather in the mid=west was really bad that week. We lost 10.
hit.gif
So we ordered "replacements" but of course you have to have a total of 25 in that order. Long story short - my neighbor has 40+ chickens
ep.gif
and I have my six. She seems quite happy as she takes her eggs to the local auction and more is better.

Here is a picture of my flock: It consists of a partridge cochin rooster, cuckoo maran hen, new hampshire red hen, delaware hen, white jersy giant hen, and an easter egger hen:

79656_dscn0409.jpg



Here are individual stories and photos of each individual:

My "mystery" rooster who I named - well, Mystery. I just love him - he is so quiet and pretty. He makes the coolest trilling noise when his hens are sitting around him - I think he iis quite happy. I have been told that he is probably a partridge cochin. He doesn't like to be picked uhsp but he is just so content with his girls - why disturb him. He has not crowed yet but I am not sure he is old enough at 3 1/2 months.


79656_dscn0408.jpg


Here he is with "Delly"

79656_dscn0408.jpg



This is my Delaware hen who I named Delly. She is such a sweet chicken and loves to be held.

79656_dscn0401.jpg


79656_dscn0402.jpg



This is my White Jersey Giant hen, I of course named her "Jersey Girl". She is also quite docile and will fall asleep in my arms once she is convinced I am not going to hurt her...

79656_dscn0393.jpg


Here she is having a "discussion" with my easter egger hen, "Ari"

79656_dscn0392.jpg



This is my New Hampshire Red hen. She is lowest chicken in the pecking order. She gets a bit spooked when I pick her up but she is getting better with time. She is starting to relax when I pick her up. What is funny about her is she will go up into the coop so I can catch her. She seems quite happy to be held once she is caught.

79656_dscn0419.jpg


79656_dscn0424.jpg




Finally, is the Easter Egger. She is half wild - does NOT like you to touch her let alone pick her up. I am starting to let them out of the coop when I am there to supervise them . This one will go under or into things and then freak out when she flaps her wings and they touch the confined space. It is hilarious to watch her. She also challenges all the other chickens with her neck feather displays.

79656_dscn0425.jpg


79656_dscn0431.jpg


79656_dscn0432.jpg




Finally, here is my favorite chicken, "Cookie", my Cuckoo Maran hen. She has a very deformed foot and the other one has a mild deformity but she walks o.k and she is number 1 chicken. She was in the first batch and we very nearly lost her - actually she was in such poor shape were amazed that she lived at all. She was cool in the box and almost gone when we got her. I love to pick her up and pet her - she has the SOFTEST feather. She is my chatterer and talks up a storm while I hold her telling me how difficult it is to be the boss chicken.

79656_dscn0389.jpg


Here she is with Mystery and Delly:

79656_dscn0396.jpg




I am so glad I got chickens. I love to sit out in the yard with them while the peck around. The follow me back to the coop and go in when we are through. We have hawks and eagles in the areas so that I dare not be right there with them. I have them in a small coop and enclosed run and they are quite content in there. My husband is building a coop and yard for them and is about 1/2 way done. We have had soooooooooooooooo much rain this spring so he hasn't been able to do it until this week

Anyway, that is my little chicken family. I hope you enjoy the photos.

love.gif


Vickie
Kelso, WA.
 
I love the pics and the stories. Thanks for sharing.
I hope to share some stories when my chicks get big enough and their personalities start to come out more....
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom