The crazy chicken lady in me has emerged again so you might be seeing a lot of chicken posts in the near future. Apologies in advance. Anyhow, we have decided to add four more chickens into our little backyard flock. Orders for the February hatch through My Pet Chicken will open up any day now so I've been busy reading up on different breeds and determining which would be a good fit for our family. I think we've narrowed it down to these four breeds.
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| image via mypetchicken.com |
We knew without a doubt that we would want another Buff Orpington. We had the sweetest Buff named Ramona but sadly we lost her this past August. She was the friendliest chicken, a great layer, and was wonderful around the kids.
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| image via mypetchicken.com |
I've always been captivated by the gorgeous feathers on Wyandottes so we've chosen to add a Silver Laced Wyandotte to the family. They are good layers, friendly birds, and are hardy to the heat.
Buff Orpingtons and Wyandottes are good layers. Add those to the three layers we have now and we will be rolling in the eggs. As it is, we get plenty for our household of five. Because we'll be getting more than enough eggs with these breeds, I've decided that it would be fun to add chickens of the ornamental variety to the flock.
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| via mypetchicken.com |
This little fluff ball is a White Cochin. While not the best layers, these little chickens are easily handled, friendly, and super docile. Not too mention they are crazy cute and get fuller and fluffier as they get older (the one in this picture is a pullet - female chicken under a year old)
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| via mypetchicken.com |
I saved the best for last. This ornamental oddity is called a Polish. I haven't decided which variety of Polish we'll get but I promise you that they all have that fabulous crest of feathers. Never a bad hair day with these girls.
Once we place our order, I'll have to impatiently wait until the chicks hatch sometime in February. Once they have hatched, they'll be packaged up at a day old and sent via USPS to us.
This is how our girls arrived last February. So cute, right? I can't wait to have little chicks in the house again!
Can I just say how much fun i am having looking through all those chickens on My Pet Chicken!?!?! SO freaking cute! I don't know how you don't want them all!
ReplyDeleteOk...I've fallen in love with the Golden Laced Polish... I can't wait to see which polish you choose!
ReplyDeleteTrust me, I had the hardest time narrowing them down. We can't get any bantams so that took half of them out of the running. I'm so glad you like the Golden Laced Polish because that's the one I'm leaning towards.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have to say that every time I think of you with a baby girl(!), I start grinning from ear to ear :)
So So Cute Grace! Great choices!!!
ReplyDelete4 more?! You are crazy!! Plus now you have to come up with 4 more names...and with the breeds you picked, they'll have to be good ones!
ReplyDeleteOh, the names... I told the boys they could each name one. Finley wants to name his "donut"?!?!
ReplyDelete'Donut' would be good for the White Cochin who looks amazingly similar to a powdered sugar donut!
ReplyDeleteThat is perfect for the White Cochin, Nancy! :)
ReplyDeleteSo exciting! I do hope your Wyandottes are friendlier than ours. They've settled down, but they were down right mean to our other girls at first. The Buff Orpingtons are still my favorites though, and maybe Black Australorps too, they're just so mellow. We're not raising chicks this year, we have too many other projects going on, so I'll have to stop in to get my chick fix this spring!
ReplyDeleteI just came over from your sister's blog. I had to see the "chicken lady" for myself.
ReplyDeleteWe used to live in a farming community. I heard little peeps at the post office one day and inquired about the sounds. They told me that they had a box of chicks in the back. I was new to country living and never realised that chickens could be shipped. I have always loved chickens...so many beautiful ones.I hope they bring you lots of fun.
Balisha
Can you tell me anything about local chicks and whether or not to avoid buying chicks on Craigslist?
ReplyDeleteCorinne, we ordered our chicks online because I was worried about potentially getting a rooster (which we don't want). I think the hatcheries have a pretty good sexing rate (although they aren't perfect). I'm sure it's safe to buy chicks at a local feed store as long as it looks like their surroundings are clean and they are well cared for but I don't know if they can tell you whether you're getting males or females. I'd be a little wary of Craigslist because you can't be certain that they haven't been exposed to diseases, gross conditions, etc. Good luck!!
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