Naming chickens

[Vicker]

Occasionally I call them something based on some trait that really stands out. A very friendly Ameraucana with prominent muffs or "mutton chops" we called Mutter or Mutt. She came when you called her name. Friendly chick that was a single hatchling was called Little Red, and so on. But the friendly ones get picked off by predators more readily since they are less flighty. I really don't name them or think of them as pets anymore. I refer to them by a trait if I'm telling my husband about one, such as "the jabbery red".

 

[s98330q]

Let your kids or the neighbour kids name them. We have: Buff and Buff Mountain ( buff orps), Specky and Becky (speckled Sussex), Wide Load (fat Rainbow Dixie), Sapphire (Blue Sapphire), the ISA’s (catch all name for the ISA’s we have-no names yet) Midnight (black Jersey Giant), Reddy (Rhode island red), Blue (the other blue sapphire. this is our autistic daughters chicken. All of our chickens have been amazing for her autism….)

 

[Tamllp2]

I have 20+ chickens. All have names. Suttle differences help me tell who is who. Size differences, feathers may be slightly different etc. I name them after getting to know their unique personalities.

 

[SuperWhoLockian]

I am already thinking of possible names for the chicks I’m picking up this week. So my question is, do you name your chickens? How do you decide on names? If you have multiple of the same breed, how do you tell them apart?
Thanks for participating!

We only have our first four hens this summer. They’ll be layers only so yes, I did name them. Each has a name from the show Supernatural. I’m lucky enough that they are different enough to tell apart just by looking. You can get colored bird bands for their legs to tell them apart if they all look similar.

 

[Buzzard Hill Chickens]

We have 8 hens. 2 are mixed breeds, and 6 are Barred Rocks. Unlike my previous batch of PBR's, 4 of these 6 are almost identical and very difficult to tell apart visually. We used colored zip ties on the right leg of each to tell them apart at a glance. Put them on loose enough to not bind their legs, but tight enough to not fall off or irritate them.

They all have names, most named after aunts, grandmothers, sisters, etc.

 

[Sycamore Hill Chicks]

Names :
Daisy
Hazel
Ginny (Ginestra - Italian for a flower)
Kyla Hen (brother named her )

 

[Pippin quail]

I’m going to try hatching a few eggs next year when we get ready to add new chicks on the spring, might try to get cream Legbar so we know who the Roos are nice & early & can try to find homes ahead of time. Our chick order will definitely be sexed if I hatch! I think my son would love watching the eggs pip & chicks coming into the world! Your kids must’ve loved it!

They absolutely did! Maybe almost as much as I did. I'm so excited for next week when our next batch hatches. I have so much more experience, a brooder and chicken coop actually ready to go this time - so less, stress more fun!

 

[Ponypoor]

I optimistically called my one Silkie Roxanne Hen L'oeuf - then she started crowing - tried Rocky but Roxanne stuck as she/he knew that name. The other Silkie I knew was a rooster and called in Stanley the Stallion Chicken. Sadly both were killed recently by a fox

I have three other Silkies that are around 14 weeks right now so I don't know what sex they are. From the beginning they were the McNugget Triplets: I have Fluffy McNugget (typical fluffy silkie), Curly McNugget (Frizzle silkie) and Henny Penny McNugget (looks like an Old English Game x Silkie - and likely a rooster....). All three know their names, and simple commands like, 'Go to bed' - when I put them away at night; or 'Go in there' - their safe place when I move horses around in the barn; and of course 'Here chook, chook, chook' - always some treat involved with that call!

There are also seven, 5 week old barnyard mix chicks here that were hatched out and they also have names and are learning them - they are not as easy to train as the Silkies I am finding as they are always running somewhere doing something and never sit still - the Silkies are way more tame and quiet.

Chickens are new for me but I find they are cunning, devious little devils, and remind me of those wee raptors on Jurassic Park that attack the little girl on the beach - I am frequently glad they are not 6' tall! And I have seen my Silkie Fluffy eat an 8" snake so doubly glad they are not looking at me as being on the menu hahaha.

 

[lifein1840]

Do any of your chickens know their names? Mine sure don't!

I have one old hen that sure seems to know. I usually don't keep hens past about 3 years old, she's about 9. She was my grand daughter's favorite and was named "Buttercup" by my grand daugther...though I usually call her "ButterButt"

 

[JKay98]

I have anywhere from 20- 30 chickens at a time, and they all have names. Some are more random then others. (For example, I have two barred rock hens I cannot tell apart, so they are Patty and Selma, from the Simpsons) The rest have names and it helps when my husband and I are discussing an injury we notice, or someone was being mean to someone, etc.