The chickens are here! The chickens are here!

We are officially chicken owners, having purchased our first home flock. They are a mix of Americauna and Rhode Island Reds. None of them are pure breeds, but since we really didn't know that much about raising them (except what we have read - and let me tell you we've read a lot), we didn't figure it would matter all that much if they were pure breeds or not. We may, in the future, decide to experiment with different breeds, but for now, we like the ones we have chosen.

And...they have names.

Wilma is the white chicken, Betty and Aunt Bea are black (W=Wilma W=White - following along here?)



Ok, that's 3. We have 10.

 

The Four M's - Mildred, Molly, Matilda and Martha (Stewart?) are all "Mocha" colored. Actually a reddish brown with similar markings and are approximately the same size - more on which is which when we figure that out.

Gertrude is the dark red/brownish one that looks like she has a large black feather collar/necklace on.











Then there is Tenacious Dee - Dee is the smallest, brown hen with some really amazing markings. However, Dee doesn't know that she is small because she gets in there and pushes everyone out of her way when she wants her food. Nothing comes between her and her crumbles!

And finally, there is Jack - the rooster (the bigger one). We were told by the people that we bought them from that we only have one rooster and I would like to believe them as, from what I can tell, there really is only need for one rooster in a flock (There can be only one) IF one is really needed to begin with. We weren't going to get any roosters but someone we know and trust told us that in order to keep the hens happy, there has to be a man around, for protection and such things. And as everyone knows if the mammas ain't happy, nobody is happy.

The new additions are between 3 and (roughly) 6 weeks old - all have their feathers and have been spending time outdoors, which is what we were looking for. We just weren't ready for the whole heat lamp or warm light bulb in the box method.

They have seemed to fared their first night in the new hut very well. Each of them arose this morning happy and chirping, scrambling for more food for their voracious appetites! They are so little, how could they eat so much? And with only one mishap with the automatic waterer, (NOTE from Old Head: Do not grab the top of the waterer and twist sideways on a sideways opening watering container. Bad things happen and flooding ensues) all things seem to be going well. They are happy, able to leap to their roosts and one or two have found their way into the nesting boxes for a few seconds each.



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