Ended Wattle I Do Without You?

[BDutch]

#3
This is an old photo of Ini Mini, my oldest and most talkative girl. Hatched in 2014. Not laying eggs anymore but still going strong. She’s a sweetie and an excellent mother of many chicks.

 

[BDutch]

#4
This is Katrientje, my bantam Rhode Island red. Often hanging around the back door, because that is where the food comes out of the house and she doesn't want to miss that for sure. She is very social in her behaviour, never argues with flock mates.

 

[BDutch]

Not an entry. My other great flock members: Black and Pearl. Siblings from 2015 and both Dutch bantams from my first cockerel an Pino who was taken by a buzzard. 2 very different characters. Pearl is very shy and flighty. Black is sweetie and likes human company. They both were good mothers a few times.

 

[West Bend]

Meet Luna Lovegood my 3 year old lavender orpington. Luna is my gardening companion and exterminator for my shed . She never met a bug she didn't eat and she knows when I carry the gardening tools it's snack time out in the yard with mom. Her gentle disposition makes her a lovely helper!

View attachment 4282586

This is my Luna Lovegood

 

[mrskenmore]

This is my Luna Lovegood View attachment 4288400

She's gorgeous

 

[CrissyV]

RIP my dear Emerald, started off as a Rhode Island Red hen into a beautiful rooster.

 

[CrissyV]

My Barred Rock Lucky, especially enjoying the swing

 

[pnw_urban_chix]

Meet Luna Lovegood my 3 year old lavender orpington. Luna is my gardening companion and exterminator for my shed . She never met a bug she didn't eat and she knows when I carry the gardening tools it's snack time out in the yard with mom. Her gentle disposition makes her a lovely helper!

View attachment 4282586

I also have a Lavender Orpington named Cornelia, and she will sprint across the yard and patio if she suspects treats or sees me opening the door to where the treats are kept. I will also be supervising my girls foraging in my backyard, and I'll go, "Wait, where is Cornelia" and then walk around the corner and find her just pecking away at any little tidbits around our back door.

 

[Rillowen]

This is Mr. Chicken.
He was gifted to us at 6 months old as we were trying to establish our flock. He came from a free ranging mixed flock with very little interaction and at first was terrified and half feral. I spent a couple days trying to establish a bond and it was wildly successful! He is now the fierce defender of my honor, disciplining any flock mates who look at me wrong or don't IMMEDIATELY SPRINT to me as soon as I open the door. Doesnt like to snuggle, but tolerates being picked up, and loves to follow me around when im outside, or settle next to me. He is also an amazing daddy and had to be taken aside to be fed when there were chicks because he was giving all his food to them and was loosing too much weight. He has also never mounted a hen who didnt squat for him, which I didnt even think was possible to find! He isn't the breed we wanted, but his disposition is such that he is now the flock patriarch and we will defend his position!

Edit: Mr. Chicken is being upgraded, from favorite to HERO. We had a young roo that was a late developer so we didnt get him culled before the cold weather hit (I'm not butchering in 30°!) He raised the roo levels too much, bu5 we weren't too worried because he had always been docile and standoffish. We'll 2 weeks ago his hormones finally hit and he becomes a REAL BUTT. He started fighting with Mr. Chickens and the other roo, and ambushing hens, being really rough on them too. All the hens became wary of him, and would scuttle away if he came close, which made him even more aggressive. He started chasing the hens from food, and plucking their head feathers. Mr. Chicken wasnt happy with this and started chasing him away more, even got into the first ever fight to draw blood! Only a spot on his comb, not real brutality happening here.(Meanwhile I'm watching the calendar for the first opportunity to cull). Then yesterday he took it too far. My 10yr old daughter went out to get them in the pen early bc they were acting nervous, and a hawk has been spotted nearby recently. I saw through the window as our young Butt took a flying attack leap at her back!! I was about to bolt for the door when Mr. Chicken comes bolting out of nowhere from the side on a 90° intercept path and knocks him out of the air!! Mr. Chicken then pecked him smartly on the head and puffed up his chest, standing protectively between my daughter and the roo. Daughter, not knowing what just happened, turns around at the noise, and thinks Mr. Chicken is begging for scraps so she bends to offer him some, which he cheerfully takes, as the other roo skulked away. Other roo was ended that night, butchering weather or not. We have a zero tolerance policy for attacks on our kids. Mr. Chicken, is now a Hero in our house.

 

[mrskenmore]

View attachment 4289802
This is Mr. Chicken.
He was gifted to us at 6 months old as we were trying to establish our flock. He came from a free ranging mixed flock with very little interaction and at first was terrified and half feral. I spent a couple days trying to establish a bond and it was wildly successful! He is now the fierce defender of my honor, disciplining any flock mates who look at me wrong or don't IMMEDIATELY SPRINT to me as soon as I open the door. Doesnt like to snuggle, but tolerates being picked up, and loves to follow me around when im outside, or settle next to me. He is also an amazing daddy and had to be taken aside to be fed when there were chicks because he was giving all his food to them and was loosing too much weight. He has also never mounted a hen who didnt squat for him, which I didnt even think was possible to find! He isn't the breed we wanted, but his disposition is such that he is now the flock patriarch and we will defend his position!

He sounds like quite the guy!