My Hubby's Chicken Hobby (we call him the chicken whisperer)

Originally Posted by nicky

Absolutely

That was the 2nd choice for a name.... 3rd choice was Johnny Rotten!

The rest of the little hens all sleep in a row together. Zowie sleeps by herself. She gets along with the rest - but is kind of lonely (or so I thoughyt). So we got her a white silkie to hang out with. Oddly that one is a bit of a loner as well, although they do sit together outside. I have Silkie naming rights in our family (due to my punk rocker background - don't ask- I am hung up between Rod Stewart or Debbie "Hairy"." Leaning towards Debbie. I'm thinking Blondie is a bit more white haired than Rod! Plus, trying to feminize Rod is a bit hard - Rodwena? Rodette?

What do you think Worth?

Zowie needs a sibling name Stewie.

[nicky]

Aww... Stewie - I like that! Hmm.. maybe we need a little silkie Rooster! Good idea WilliesWoodPile!

I am going to take a pic of the feet as soon as I can get outside to do it. It has been raining every day since I started this thread, now we have a few inches of snow! Ugg. Winter is here. Even the 2 silkies have joined the rest up on the high perch to cuddle!

[pinakbet]

beautiful chickens you got there. what breed are those?

[nicky]

The rooster in the doorway is a Mille Fleur D'Uccle, as is the little spotted one. The ginger coloured "hairy" one is a Silkie. We also have one more Mille Fleur, a white Silkie, 2 Buff Brahmas and a Partridge Brahma (not picured).

The Mille Fleurs are really different. They are very small & seem to like to fly! They are skittish with the bigger Brahmas & quite sweet. They love flying up and down the perch tree that my husband built.

The Silkies are so laid back, nothing bothers them. They are more like cuddly pets than chickens.

The Brahmas are more "chicken-like." They are more the traditional chicken shape & a larger than our other 2 breeds. They enjoy playing tag & the cold weather doesn't seem to put them off as much as the others.

We are very new to chicken keeping (only 1.5 years), so I only really know what I have researched & seen in our short time with the little gang. We had no idea that they came in so many different colours & shapes. Its amazing the variety! I always thought that chickens were like eggs - brown or white!

[nicky]

Its been a while since I last posted on this thread... About time for a chicken pic update.

Sadly Zowie Bowie passed away (wry neck) 2 months ago. Debbie, Napoleon & Samantha are still with us & having a great time helping to dig my garden this spring.

Napolean Dynamite, overlord of the ladies.
napo3.jpg
Debbie the Silkie, who looks more like a fluffy teddy bear than a hen.
Debbie.jpg
Samantha the Mille Fleur.
Millie.jpg
With the Brahmas in the coop.
hangingwiththebrahmas.jpg
The bounty - yes green & pink. The green are the Brahma's eggs(must have some Easter Egger in them)
eggs.jpg

[greyghost]

Lovely birds!!! Thanks for the photos-I'm very sorry about Zowie.

[OneDahlia]

Nicky, I showed my husband your pictures back when you posted this, and he hasn't forgotten. Recently he told me he'll build me a coop like that if I agree to get chickens. It is so cute that I might agree even though I'm not sure I (and my neighbors) really want the chickens.

Love the pink and green eggs too!

My sympathies on Zowie.

[nicky]

Thanks for the sympathies (: We had her in the basement bathroom for a month trying to nurse her back to health, but in the end we had to let her go. I bawled like a baby.

We aren't very good farmers. These hens will be with us until they die a natural death in their sleep, tucked in their little chicken sleigh beds! We will just build another coop every couple of years when they stop laying. One day our entire yard will look like a mini-chicken-subdivision full of too old to lay hens! We can add little street lamps and cobblestone roads. Sadly, I don't think that I am joking.

OneDahlia, we have really enjoyed the little bantam breeds. They are quite quiet and not smelly & great garden manure machines. The little rooster isn't very loud, although we are surrounded by 50 acres of farmer's field & a forest. When he is inside his little coop you can barely hear him. But you certainly don't have to get a rooster. We were definately not getting a rooster until I turned my back on my hubby for 5 minutes at a bird auction last fall. When I turned around he had Napoleon in a cage on his arm and a huge sheepish grin on his face! I think that you will really enjoy them when you give up & get them! The eggs are amazing.

[janezee]

Originally Posted by nicky

We can add little street lamps and cobblestone roads. Sadly, I don't think that I am joking.

[OneDahlia]

That's so funny about Napoleon.

It's good to know the bantam breeds aren't too loud or smelly. The manure is definitely a plus, lol. Tell me they eat the bad garden insects and hornworms and I might cave ...

It has also occurred to me that while hubby does not care for yard work and gardening, chickens might get him to spend more time outside with me. Priorities, after all.

[nicky]

They will absolutely eat the bad insects, and the good, and the worms and the frogs and your plants! I think that they will eat just about anything. Make sure you are out with them if they are loose near an unprotected vegetable garden - or flower bed. Last year I made a nice sandy bed in bright sunlight to try growing peanuts. They were quickly unearthed by the hens. They didn't eat them, just wanted the sandy spot for a dust bath!

It is good to have priorities! LOL Hope it all works out for you. It is nice to have company outside!

[OneDahlia]

Ohhhh ... hence the good fence around your coop.

Thanks for sharing the pictures!

[Zana]

Sorry to hear about Zowie, Nicky.

Chickenhouse subdivision? Hmmmmm.....something tells me you've already been sampling the margaritas in the greenhouse....or somewhere else , contemplating your domain.

Zana

[nicky]

Zana! No margaritas today!

One Dahlia, we let them free range when we are out in the garden, but I keep a pretty close eye on them - they can rip apart a flower bed awfully quickly. In the day they get out in their pen & play tag on the perches. They are very entertaining! My hubby is going to expand the pen that is attached to the coop this summer to include the tree line behind the coop (50x20' run). It will take a while because we need to put a roof through the trees. We have quite a few hawks that come to check on the chickens, so there needs to be a roof.

Yesterday when I was pulling out of the driveway to head to work a Saint Bernard (200+lbs dog) came flying around the corner of the house & raced straight to the chicken coop and then layed down to watch them. He belongs to a neighbour a couple of concessions away & occasionally escapes. I had to shoo him away & pray that he didn't come back for some chicken wings while I was at work!

[brokenbar]

I used to love going to the fair and could spend hours looking through the "chicken Barn"...There are so many cool new breeds and the psychedelic eggs are the frosting on the cake! The lovely "pied-a-terre" your Husband built is just too much!