I had chickens as a kid and have spent my whole adult life trying to get back to that lifestyle. Last spring my husband, daughter and I moved up to a little farm in PA and got busy! In July with the help of my father in law we built a little 4x4 coop and painted it the same blue as our house. My inlaws' chickens live in Cluckingham Palace. Our coop is built for safe confinement, not luxury.
Therefore, the Henitentiary:
The chickens came from my inlaws' flock. We chose eight birds; seven little pullets and one who had just begun laying. From the start, the oldest was in charge. She is also the friendliest of all our birds, and will let my daughter pick her up. Before the others grew up and she bonded with them, WE were her flock. She ignored the others and followed us around like a dog. She's a TSC hybrid of some kind, maybe a Tetra Tint? Anyway she is funny and fearless. Meet Ladybird.
We have three Rhode Island Reds. They are bossy and standoffish. Two I can't tell apart, and one I can only distinguish because of her ginormous butt. From back to front: meet Billie, Tillie, and Lulu Thunderbottom.
Esmerelda Peckinpah is a flighty brown Leghorn who has recently developed a loud cackle. I don't know what it is she's saying, but she sure says a lot.
Amelia is a white Leghorn. She has a sweet high-pitched voice. She used to be very shy but is becoming more friendly. I'm not usually big on white chickens but she has grown up to be very pretty.
Speaking of pretty, meet Pretty, the one my daughter named. She's an Easter Egger. Quiet but not shy, she simply prefers to be left alone. She does her own thing.
My favorite, sweet and gentle Edwina, a Partridge Rock. She is so fluffy, I want to hug her. All the time.
These eight were the Henitentiary Gang, until last week. heatherscooby77 had blue and black Ameraucanas for sale and I couldn't resist. The drag queen of birds--she has a beard and decks herself in shiny iridescent feathers--meet Dame Henrietta Cluckingdon.
She's still mad at me for everything. But she'll get over it.
This year the Gang will be moving into a bigger run, as soon as we build it. Currently we let the birdies out to roam the yard for a few hours each afternoon, only when we are home. We've had some problems with stray dogs in our (unfenced) yard. Don't let the utilitarian surroundings fool you. These chickies are spoiled rotten.
Therefore, the Henitentiary:
The chickens came from my inlaws' flock. We chose eight birds; seven little pullets and one who had just begun laying. From the start, the oldest was in charge. She is also the friendliest of all our birds, and will let my daughter pick her up. Before the others grew up and she bonded with them, WE were her flock. She ignored the others and followed us around like a dog. She's a TSC hybrid of some kind, maybe a Tetra Tint? Anyway she is funny and fearless. Meet Ladybird.
We have three Rhode Island Reds. They are bossy and standoffish. Two I can't tell apart, and one I can only distinguish because of her ginormous butt. From back to front: meet Billie, Tillie, and Lulu Thunderbottom.
Esmerelda Peckinpah is a flighty brown Leghorn who has recently developed a loud cackle. I don't know what it is she's saying, but she sure says a lot.
Amelia is a white Leghorn. She has a sweet high-pitched voice. She used to be very shy but is becoming more friendly. I'm not usually big on white chickens but she has grown up to be very pretty.
Speaking of pretty, meet Pretty, the one my daughter named. She's an Easter Egger. Quiet but not shy, she simply prefers to be left alone. She does her own thing.
My favorite, sweet and gentle Edwina, a Partridge Rock. She is so fluffy, I want to hug her. All the time.
These eight were the Henitentiary Gang, until last week. heatherscooby77 had blue and black Ameraucanas for sale and I couldn't resist. The drag queen of birds--she has a beard and decks herself in shiny iridescent feathers--meet Dame Henrietta Cluckingdon.
She's still mad at me for everything. But she'll get over it.
This year the Gang will be moving into a bigger run, as soon as we build it. Currently we let the birdies out to roam the yard for a few hours each afternoon, only when we are home. We've had some problems with stray dogs in our (unfenced) yard. Don't let the utilitarian surroundings fool you. These chickies are spoiled rotten.
