A story of our dysFUNction with chickens and their names, as this is a current issue in our house:
Well, years ago we had chickens and the 5 yo grandbeastie convinced her Da to get chicks. We went for 4 and came home with 10
They got three guaranteed white rock hens, 3 guaranteed rhode island red hens and 4 50/50 surprise you have a rooster/hen. When we got to checkout,I saw a magazine and flipped thru it- in the front it had breeds, then flipped to back and it had coop designs, and went to call my husband to look at a coop design. The grandbeast says "Mema, go back", and I thought oh goodness, there goes another food group (she doesn't eat beef and we are ALL carnivores in this family). In the middle was how to cut up your chicken to fry! She says very loudly "Mema, don't do this to my FAMILY"!!
So, the "family" has lived in my bathroom for several weeks, and now has the most convoluted "change with the wind" designed coop and accessories- though my husband refuses to make a swing- in 52 years he has never known a chicken who really needed a swing. It will happen, lol.
Two of the 50/50 mix died in week two. We now have eight and the 5 yo was throwing out crazy names will nilly. I told her she had to wait and see their personalities.
Sooo.. I started calling the three white rock hens crazy 1, crazy 2 and crazy 3. You even look at them and they think the sky is falling and fly all over and act crazy. When I mentioned to a daughter the "crazies" the grandbeastie (her niece) had told her her (Aunty) the story of Henny Penny on the way home from a visit with her one day, so now they are
Henny Penny
Turkey Lurky
Foxy Roxy
They think the end is near and imminent. I love trying to touch their tails when they aren't looking.
The three rhode island reds are darlings and get up on my arm on command and sit and be petted by the 5 yo. One is the largest of the flock, so she became
Big Momma
The other 2 are still no name as they haven't given us a sign yet
Now, the 50/50 mix, one is definitely a rooster. He is friendly and gets on arm and has become, naturally
Big Daddy
The other is well, special ( I work in a school with special ed, so it is very appropriate, lol) He has not thrived, and I thought he was going to join the other two in heaven, but he still keeps on ticking. His legs don't work well, he is half the size of the others, has no neck to speak of (looks like an owl) He gets stepped on by all others and doesn't get around much. He is in need of a wheelchair, lol, as he has to be put in the coop at night and brought out in the am- he can't manage the ramp. He flaps his wings and can go a foot and half and fall on his face. God love him he is
Gimpy (or Forest Gimp by Aunty as 5 yo hasn't seen the movie)
I have to feed the others their meal worms and distract them, then quietly place a handful in front of him or the others will bully him a little. I say he, but we still don't know if it is he or she as he hasn't grown enough for our old eyes to tell. He has been a trip to watch and deal with. We are making a water nipple bar for the coop and need to angle it way down or put in accommodations of a drop down for him. He is also stuck letting the 5 yo old help him everywhere. He lifts his wings and she rubs on him and makes sure he has water and fresh grass. Her baby, lol.
I had a metal sign made for the coop after it is painted that has a hen, chick and rooster cutout. It says
Juliana's (the beastie)
FAMILY.
I will have name plates made for all when we name the last two.
Our motto is
We are the dysFUNctional. If you can't make it fun, why bother.
Hope that all have a great day and safe weekend.
Problem is we name chicks after a show then half are roos and leave so we are missing half the names!
