Bwaawwkkk! First day at the new junior high
By Gina Spadafori
September 13, 2009
Some people are horse-traders — or were, back when horses labored for their keep.
I am a chicken-trader. Of my first nine chickens, only three are still with me — Agatha, the Deleware; Beatrice, the Rhodie; and Viviana, the Americuna. The others have come and gone, sold, given away or traded as I’ve tried to get just the perfect little flock of backyard chickens, ones who get along with each other, are friendly to people, lay large eggs regularly and are interesting to look at.
This year, my friend Pamela and I both raised chickens from day-old chicks this year, our first try at it (last year, I bought young adult hens to start). We figured we’d keep some, share with my neighbor Judy, and finally sell the rest to those looking for their own little flock of backyard pets. I raised my chicks first — they arrived in April – and gave Judy and Pamela a half-dozen or so each — Rhode Island and New Hamphire Reds, and Americunas.
Pamela’s chicks arrived three months after mine, and they’re all feathered out now and ready to go to their new homes. Pamela has already banded the handful she absolutely wants to keep, and Judy has taken a half-dozen home as well. This morning I went to choose my final additions to the flock for this year.
While I had chosen just a few well-known breeds to raise, Pamela had gone for the “little of everything” collection, with about 20 different of breeds of chicks — so many beautiful young hens now it was hard to choose from among them. I have wanted another Polish since Einstein died, and fortunately she had three of them — shiny black chickens with huge tufts of white feathers on their heads. So I have a new Einstein.
I also picked out a pretty golden Campine, and a couple of pullets with feathers on their feet. The Campine I’ve now named Sunny (she’s pictured here), but I’m not naming any of the rest yet: I have more chickens than I have room to care for, so I’ll be watching to see who’ll stay and who’ll be going to hook another family on backyard chickens.
In all, I have 18 chickens, only three with names — four, now, with Sunny. About a half-dozen will be finding new homes before winter sets in.
There are chickens from four different age groups — the three originals, from last year; the ones I raised this spring; the ones I bought from a demonstration farm; and now, the ones from Pamela’s. I integrate them all in the same way: Put the new girls into a pen within the larger pen, and then remove the boundary when everyone seems OK with the newbies. By breed, here’s the list: Delaware, Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire Red, Barred Rock, Black Australorp, Gold-Laced Wyandotte, Golden Campine, Polish, Americuna and three pullets of the “we don’t know what” category.
I tell you, though, having hens is like a replay of junior high. The cliques are amazing, and if you watch for a while you can tell who the cool chicks are. If you’re a nerd chick, you’d better not sit down at the same table in the lunchroom, or the cool chick’s posse will mess you up.
So far, the new girls are safe behind in their little pen, while the cool chicks lay down the law in the main enclosure.
I hope Faith and Sunny collide, ‘cause it might be Sunny no more! :>}
Comment by Colorado Transplant — September 13, 2009 @ 3:34 pm
I wish I could have chickens; they seem to be so much fun. Two of my friends here locally have chickens and I supply veggies from my garden for the chickens in exchange for eggs. And there’s nothing like fresh backyard eggs - so much better than store bought.
Both friends have a variety of chicken breeds and that results in eggs of all sizes and colors. It’s like Easter all year round. I love it!
Comment by Liz Palika — September 13, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
I thought that chicken in the photo was a hen pheasant until I got a closer look.
Comment by retrieverman — September 13, 2009 @ 7:09 pm
What a great variety. Pullets are so cute! You’re lucky you can keep so many. Even the dynamics of a flock of four gets complicated. Gladys is already broody and wants to sit on all the eggs at once. When another chicken is in the nesting box laying, Eulalie announces it to the world like she’s the one doing it. Who needs TV when you have chickens?
Comment by C.L.H. — September 13, 2009 @ 8:42 pm
C.L.H. writes “Who needs TV when you have chickens?”
We have our own channel of chicken teevee.
I have thirty birds, 15 Barred Plymouth Rock crosses that are prolific layers, 10 Buff Orpingtons who lay large dark eggs and 5 Black Australorps who have not started laying yet.
They free range during the day and come to the garage to be let in at night, often all of them roosting on their old brooder pen walls.
They are wonderful to watch and a constant source of entertainment for dogs, visitors and us. I can sit and watch them all day.
We have a pair that are the best of friends; one of the Rock crosses has befriended one of the Orps and they spend their days together, roosting together, laying together and avoiding the two randy Orp roosters who have still not met the knife.
I have five boxes for the girls to lay in and a wall of hay bales that they will often stand in line to take their turns laying in.
Between 9 and 11 in the morning, there is a line that goes out my garage door as they each take turns on their favorite spots.
One of the hens sounds like she is laughing as she lays. We are pulling in about 15 eggs a day now, and five of the birds are still not laying yet.
I have already given away about 9 dozen eggs!
I love my birds. They are like my crackberry, I don’t know how I ever managed without them!
Comment by Linda Kaim — September 14, 2009 @ 4:57 am
Mayhap a fowl idea?
“PETA wants to turn Va. prison into chicken museum
(AP) – 18 hours ago
TROUTVILLE, Va. — An animal rights group wants to rent a prison building the state plans to close and turn it into the nation’s first chicken empathy museum. A People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals official sent a letter Monday to Gov. Tim Kaine asking to rent the Botetourt Correctional Center building in Troutville.
Kaine spokeswoman Lynda Tran said the state doesn’t lease to private entities except for cases grandfathered in when it purchases buildings.
PETA spokeswoman Ashley Byrne said the Norfolk-based group thinks a former prison is the ideal setting for exhibits on what it contends is mistreatment of chickens raised for slaughter.
Reiman said the museum also would have displays detailing chickens’ habits and intelligence.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.”
Comment by Anne T — September 15, 2009 @ 8:08 am
Reiman said the museum also would have displays detailing chickens’ habits and intelligence.
Comment by Anne T — September 15, 2009
Perhaps we could then have one detailing the media’s habits and intelligence, specifically why they think every time PETA farts it’s news.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 15, 2009 @ 9:34 am
Yay! A new Einstein!
Comment by Original Lori — September 15, 2009 @ 5:02 pm