Hi all -
An update on my flock. In mid-February I bought 14 babies from a local lady who ordered from Ideal. I got 6 turkens, 1 buff orphington, 3 Delawares, 2 Marans and 2 Faverolles. About 10 days old I put the stinky babies outside in an old rabbit hutch where they've been since then. This weekend I let them out for a few hours. My kids are home so today I just opened the cage and walked away before heading to work and one by one they jumped to freedom. They were all supposed to be pullets, but we know how well sexing works, so one of my Marans is a boy (big comb vs. non-existent comb on the other) and one of my Turkens. Maran boy has been named JoeBob and I named the Turken boy Rambo. I rather like a bird named Rambo but if he goes after me, he'll be straight in the stewpot. He already fancies the ladies in the way the boy birds so. I haven't seen this in such a young bird before as he's not more than 7 weeks old!
The Delawares are the sweetest and prettiest birds and a pleasant suprise with their white feathers with black speckles. One of my two Faverolles is all black with grey speckles on his body but for his head which is just the blue/grey feathers, making her look, to me, like a bald eagle from the distance. My daughter named her Reptar, but I call her Baldy. Anyhow, I see nothing like her on Feathersite. Being she came from Ideal, I'm sure she's a mutt Faverolle (not a single one of my turkens has the same coloring either) but I'd be interested in seeing if there was a feather pattern like I described.
I need to do an actual head count on my adult birds, but I think my free-rangers survived just fine over the winter. All 4 boys are still in good health, though Security, when the blood started flowing again, started going after all of us. He's blind in one eye and a week of good shovel and stick whacks and now he's on the other side of the yard whenever he sees one of us big 2 legged non-birds. My chickens took over hubby's tool shed during the winter, roosting in the rafters. Hubby gripes about it, but he hasn't built me a proper coop, so until he does they're in the shed.
It is a joy with the longer daylight hours to come home, greeted by my flock who listens for my car. After feeding and watering them and gathering the 15 or so eggs each day, I love to sit outside talking to them and watching them. Girlfriend, a New Hampshire red, jumps into my lap virtually the moment I sit down to be petted and adored. In fact, that's how she got her name!
I am now in my 3rd year of chicken keeping. Before my brother gave me Marigold, an Amerucauna who's still with us, and another hen, I had no interest in chickens. Now I can hardly tear myself away from being with my birds and cannot imagine having at least a few hens.
We do have one lone guinea, Badger, who everyone is now calling Uncle Fester because he acts like a cranky old uncle. I'm hoping to get a few guinea keets this spring, so if anyone in my area has them, let me know (Laura in Spotsy, perhaps?)
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Debbie Adams, Bealeton, VA
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