The new flock is growing up. They’re starting to show some personality. One of my Buff Orpingtons is fearless and friendly and comes right up to me.
One of the Black Australorps is extra-curious and enjoys perching on my finger. The Easter Eggers are very enthusiastic flyers. Their wings seem very well-developed compared to the others.
They are all very pretty birds and we love watching them scratch around. The best time is observing their hijinks when they have a bug. There’s a lot of snatching and flinging and they so adore their bugs.
I took great pleasure in watching them fight over a squash borer larva. Revenge can be sweet.
TL
Are you able to find enough bugs in your yard to feed them, or do you have to buy bugs from the store?
Hi Corinne!
I’m sure they would love more bugs, but they mostly eat chick starter feed. The bugs are sort of like dessert. Once they are out in the run I bet they will make them a larger part of their diet.
Could they please come visit and eat all of my squash bugs? I really need some help!
We used to go out after dark and pick snails and slugs – 100s at a time if we had patience. Bela was quite good with chopsticks so he never had to touch the slimy things. We learned to (duh!) put a lid on them. Then we’d deliver them the next morning to the flock (a wee bit larger than yours at 250 chickens, 29 ducks and 9 geese) who would demonstrate quite visciously that they are dinosaurs. And to see them fight over pinky rats when I was cleaning the barns was quite impressive.
Occasionally people at the farmers’ market would quiz me about the chickens’ diet, “Surely you feed them a *vegetarian* diet…?” “Chickens are naturally omnivores. The chicken feed I provide them is vegetarian other than the oyster shell as a source of calcium, but they supplement that themselves with all the bugs and vermin they can catch… Not to mention eating their own eggs at times.”
When we first bought the farm in Watsonville, I had intended to go into dairy goats. But a friend was moving and couldn’t take her six pet hens with her. We took 4 of them and Bela’s sister took the other 2. I was immediately surprised by the fact that chickens had personality! My first chickens were 2 Rhode Island Reds (oh, I’m drawing a blank… Gertrude and …), a barred rock (Margaret) and a buff rock (Goldie). The Rhodies looked identical, but their personalities were so different I always knew which was which.
And within a few years, I was up to my armpits in poultry… *grin*
What cute little guys! Do you have them in a kennel in your house? As a project, one of my sister’s 6th grade teachers ordered in a bunch of eggs so they could watch them hatch. Then the teacher had to find homes. Well… my little sister brought home three of them! We kept them in her room and cared for them night and day 🙂 They got to the point where their real feathers were coming in and our parents said off to the farm. If I knew anything about urban chickens back then I would have talked them into keeping them.
They are so adorable! I’m so frustrated that our HOA doesn’t allow chickens. Grrrrr… So, I am living vicariously!
Thanks, Kelsi! Sorry your HOA isn’t on the chicken train. Maybe they could be persuaded?
Kristin–They are in a kennel–on the screened porch. We’ll move them to their coop and run once they are all feathered out. I understand your parents’ reaction. It’s still off most people’s radar, despite the current surge.
ranch101–Yes, I can already detect distinct personalities among the chicks. I’m looking forward to them all grown up. I love a big fat hen.
ranch101–That’s a whole heck of a lot of slugs. I can only imagine! Whew! I hope they appreciated it!
My EEs have brown feet which highlight the dinosaur look and I know what you mean about the bug attack mode.
Little chicks are just so cute. 🙂 And it is so fun to watch them when they have a worm or a bug.
That picture of the fearless Buff Orpington reminds me a lot of Tweety Bird!
Ginny–Yeth, I think you have thumthing there. . .