~*~CHICKENS~*~

Well the Chickens are now 16 weeks old. They all have out going personalities and are so awesome. I am so glad we decided to bring them home. Although I wish I could take in more. I will have to wait till we get more land. But for now the enclosure is big enough for them and they seem happy. They have porches in the enclosure and when it is totally done they will have many more. They love their coop and now come in and out all day long. When we first put them out in the enclosure we didn't have a walkway and they would start yelling around 7:30pm for us to put them in there coop. I didn't know that that is what they wanted though. And I would leave them out till right before dark around 9:30pm. But a few days after that we put up the walk way and they started going to bed around 7:30 or 8. So I was really surprised that that is what they had wanted. Who knew chickens went to bed so early. When we go out to the enclosure they all run up to the side of it and want attention.

So a little more about the individual chickens. They all have now been named. It took us forever to pick a name for our big rooster. And guess what.. My guess at 5 weeks of Cockerals and Hens were totally right. First time around and I guessed them all right at 4 to 5 weeks.. I think that is so awesome!!!!

Isis/Female/Leghorn- I have finally figured out that she is a leghorn chicken. There for a while I thought she was a cornish cross and I was scared she would crow up and be huge and not be able to walk. But luckily she is a leghorn and she is pitete and beutiful. They still likes to sit on me. Although the banti rooster likes to pick on her. I'm not sure why yet but she is the only one he picks on. She will jump off the ground and off the purches onto our shoulders and arms. She loves to be held. But she doesn't like to be caught. If you catch her she is a little stand offish for a few days. She is the best purcher.

Gaia/Female/Orpington- Really doesn't like to be handled. She is the first one to kinda dig around and lay in nest looking bunches of of hay. When I take the waterier out of the coop she likes to lay in that hole too. She seems to get along with all the other chickens. She loses alot of feather. I find more of her feathers then anyones. Or maybe it is just the color. So that I know it is hers. She jumped up on us the first few days she was in the enclosure.

Titan/Rooster/ Americana- Well I was right about the slow feather and him being a rooster. It took him a very long time to get feathers. But he has totally changed his look and has gourgous purple, blue, & green blended feathers. He seems pretty laid back right now. He started crowing a few weeks ago. But he still doesn't have his spur. Which doesn't hurt my feelings any. He doesn't really pay me any attention unless I am crouched down and stand up fast or walk straight toword him. Then he runs around with his wings out and with the funniest run. I will have to tape it and put it up here. I haven't seen him pick on any of the hens or our other rooster. His comb is pea shaped I think and is weird looking because you expect the see a big red single comb. He also is heavy and not a good flyer... he jumps and flaps.. but he is like a brick.. Poor guy... But he is learning. He has even finally learned to perch. When we first put them in the enclosure he would follow me around trying to figure out how to fly up on us like the other chickens would. I would pick him up. He was so big I was glad he never tried to jump he might have really scratched up my arm.

Big Red/ Female/ RIR- She doesn't like to be touch or held. But the first few days after we put the chicks in the enclosure she would jump on us. She scratched up my arm pretty good oneday trying to fly up and land on me. She was using her neck trying to pull her way up with her feet. She hasn't been that great about being handeled after that. Every once in a while I can touch her. But she really just keeps to herself and the other chickens. She was the only female that took forever to get her saddle feathers and tail feathers. She is still just now getting her tail feathers. For the longest time she only had like 1 tail feather sticking up.
Ivy/Female/ Australorp- She is a calm chicken but isn't big on being touch. She has a big body and a small head. I think the Australorp proportion is just weird like that. I have learned that they have the world record for egg laying. She is black with a really pretty green sheen to her feathers. Thats how she got renames Ivy. I had originally names her Lola.... which I still like.. But John likes Ivy so... For the longest time she was just all black then the green started shining through.. very strange. Just like how the mails change colors. She was probably just growing new feathers and I just didn't notice. Who knows.
Mabon/Female/ Sex link- She is another hands off chicken. She has like the others needed a little reassurance when we first put them into the enclosure and would fly up and set on us. She is calm and will let me kind of touch her but not really pick her up. She likes to walk in and out of the coop and really pays attention when I shut the coop door on her side so I can clean the inside. She is very curious.. Like most chickens...

Lil Banti/Female/Bantam Cochin- She is such a cutie. She really hasn't grown to much in a long time. Everyone else got bugger and she just stayed... But thats ok. She used to jump on me all the time. It was so cute I wish I had a picture. She would walk around eyeing me up then flatten herself out onthe ground like a pancake and jump and then flap her wings and climb the rest of the way. I was awesome. But now that they are getting old she hasn't done it in a couple of weeks. She does still let me pick her up though. She doesn't even protest to much. She is a little vocal when I do it though. But she is so cute. She is laid back and seems to like following Titan and Isis. She really likes to purch and she is one of the best perchers. She also is one of the biggest dust bathers.

Crownos/Cockeral/Bantam Cochin- Well he is a cute littl erooster. He still has the reallt bright red comb and he know has the chin wattle things. Big ones.. But he is super cute. He has shiny feathers on his neck and saddle. He used to not really mind being picked up but lately he has taken up biting... and I don't mean a warning peck like alot of the hens give. I mean he grabs on and leaves marks and blood blisters. If I just put my hand near him. Which I do hoping he figures out that I will not back off just because he is being mean. Do you think he will get it??? He also likes to pick on Isis. I rally don't like that. He will chase her for just looking at me. And he really doen't like her sitting on me. He will chase her around and grab her by her neck feathers. And of course she freaks out.. So he better stop doing that or we will have to add on a small enclosure for him. But he is so cute other then the biting. He also sued to flatten out like a pan cake and jump up on us. O yeah and he loves to crow all day long and has been crowing for a probably around three weeks.


I took this picture right before she tried to peck out my eyeball!!!!Whats sad is I'm not joking..Not Joking....

But if you can't tell I love the chickens and they have been a good addition to our family. To bad they can't live inside with us.... lol