Blackie is six years old and Eleanor is almost seven.
Comments:
Too cute! I know you were worried you might lose some old girls during winter…I am glad to see they fared well and are enjoying some sunshine! It has been wet and soppy here…my girls are dying to get out..I took them a bag of greens this morning to get their minds off the puddles!
Yes, I fully expected that neither of those two girls would make it to springtime. It just shows what TLC does – and having good friends :)
My music teacher was from the Netherlands and lived to be 99 yrs old. When asked his secret for a long life, he would answer, “Good food and a warm stable”. Long live Blackie and Eleanor!
That’s the life!
Oh, I just love it! They are such interesting and amazing creatures, aren’t they?!
Bonnie Jo
awwww.
SO cute! I am very happy to say that we have not lost any of our chickens during the winter, and to add to the mix, we are also getting chicks this Spring! ( sorry if it sounded like I was bragging, I wasn’t trying to, I’m just very excited!
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve had chickens, getting new chicks in the spring is always exciting :)
Yep, you’ve got that right! :D
My chicks arrived this morning!! All of them made the trip safely from Meyer Hatchery and were eating and drinking and being chicks when I reluctantly had to leave for work…
That’s the company I’m getting mine from. A first for me with them. Glad to hear they arrived healthy. I have to wait until the end of April in order to get the blue cochin that I have my heart set on. What did you get?
Aww! they must be so cute!! Yeah, that really stinks that you had to leave for work so you could’nt see them all day! :( I’m excited for my chicks too!!!
aww…was that one in the background (behind Eleanor) a Silver-Laced Wayendotte? (sorry if I spelled it wrong!) because those I think are very beautiful, but oh heck, aren’t they all beautiful?! :)
I’m so happy to see your “mature” girls. My hens are 2 and I always wonder how long they will be here (stay away, foxes!). I got Buff Orpingtons, Golden Sex Links, and Wellsummers this year. Peep peep!!!
:) I’m guessing they are chicks?
Yes, chicks:-)
My chicks are: 2 Delaware, 1 Buff Brahma, 3 Welsummers, 1 Columbian Wyandotte, and 1 Dominique. My friend that ordered with me did get a Blue Cochin- she was very cute! Her little feet already were covered in feathers!
Suprisingly the psycho puppy (10 month old black lab) has not been the least bit interested, but then she can’t see them- only hear them :)
To me it isn’t spring without baby chicks. Mine are about 10 days old now and running and “flying” all around. The last couple of nights I’ve given them worms, nothing funnier than the chase and tug of war between the chicks for the worms.
Terry I have co worker that has the blue cochin, one of the most beautiful and calm birds going. She got some blue wyondottes in her chick order this spring, can’t wait to see them grown up.
We have what we call “pincher bugs” and our chickens LOVE them. I found a small one yesterday and tossed it in with my 5-day-old chicks. So fun to watch one grab it and all the others chase it around. They are my entertainment on rainy days like this.
A man in the feed store was buying scratch and I asked what kinds of birds he had…he said Copper Marans. He said they were very docile and beautiful…anyone know about them? I guess I need to research (again!)
They sound pretty cool, but no, sorry I have never heard of them. :-(
Donna- I’ve heard wonderful things about Marans, and of course they have those chocolate colored eggs. Did you know that unlike the other colors of eggs, the brown on the Maran’s eggs can rub off? I’m partial to the slate-blue colored Marans, but could not find a breeder who sexed the chicks.
I got 5 Copper Marans this spring. I got 4 out of 5 little stinking roosters. I decided to keep one, but the rest have to go. There is such posturing and rough-housing with these little guys and they’re only eight weeks old. I got 2 eight week old Easter-eggers last night and traded one of the roos for a blue marans pullet(4 weeks old). I get her this weekend.
:) I am getting Bantam chicks this spring, anyone have an idea on what breed to get? P.S. One of the chicks I am getting, I am hoping to be a house pet, if that helps :)
Hi, I only have 1 hen and I would consider her a pet. I rescued her when I found her on the side of the road and the shelter was most likely going to have to put her down so we decided to keep her as our pet. She seems very happy and has grown up with 2 cats a pitbull and a rotwieller. Unfortunatly I rent a small cottage and my landlord is fine with the pets we have but I can’t get another one.
AWW! Yes iI am very glad that you kept her, and I hope that you are having a GREAT life with her! Have a good day!
-Kelly :)
We have 3 roosters and like…12 hens…I think? Thank goodness only 1 of them is mean though…
By the way Terry, Blackie and Eleanor are gorgeous
Hi Andrea and Kelly – I’m going to have to chime in here and say that I don’t approve of house chickens, for a number of reasons. Chickens are flock animals and only in rare circumstances should they be kept on their own. Chickens can’t be litter-box trained. I think that diapers on chickens are ridiculous and possibly unhealthy. Besides, a diaper doesn’t keep the poo from stinking. Chickens need be able to scratch in the dirt and do other chicken things that can only happen outside. Believe me, you can be just as attached to a hen that lives outside as in. Once in awhile it’s funny and fun to have a chicken visit inside. But that doesn’t mean that’s where they should live. I know that people who have indoor poultry mean well, but I just don’t think it’s best for the animals or the humans. I believe that to care for an love our animals as best we can, it is essential to recognize what they are and care for them in the context of their innate animal-ness. When we turn them into “fur babies” or “feather babies” it’s more for us than for them. And we all miss out.
That’s it for my soap box! :)
Oh, well thank you for your opinion! I will have to look into that!
OOoo I must have misunderstood what Kelly meant, my hen doesn’t live inside, she has a really nice coop that my husband built inside an enclosed pen outside, their are no diapers or a litter box, do people really do that???
We found someone who had 4 other chickens, a friend of a friend who said she could come live there and we could visit but when we brought her they were all attacking her and I had to make a decision to leave her or take her home, I took her home.
Hi Andrea- I had a feeling that your hen was outside :) It is VERY hard to introduce a lone chicken into another flock – especially if they look different from her. I’ve heard from others who just couldn’t integrate their only in with others. It caused more stress. I’ve a feeling that after all your hen has gone through that she’s grateful for your peaceful home.
Yes, people really do keep chicken indoors and they wear diapers (or sometimes no diapers.)
Hello Terry, your right they were totally different than her, I just didn’t have the heart to leave her there, plus we had already had her for 3 months, we fell in love with her and she became part of the family.
On a seperate note you had given me a few dietery suggestions 2 weeks ago and Im almost sure I see a change for the better so thank you!
In fact yesterday we were out in the yard and I could swear she was wagging her tail, she may be spending to much time with the dogs or she was just feeling like the Diva that she is!
Andrea, so glad to hear that your hen is doing better!
ooohhh yeah…maybe I won’t have it as a house chicken :)
sorry guys, I did’nt know that that could bother them, by being inside, I really should’ve thought about that more, once again i’m sorry!!! :(
No worries, I’m a newbee and learning myself, thank goodness for Terry, I feel so lucky to have found her website and she is always so helpful. I try to spend as much time with her out of her pen also so she can free range but I’ve got allot of hawks around so I make sure I’m close by and the dogs are out too, I wonder how people who have coops on roof tops in the city excersize their chickens???
Yeah, she has a great website, I had chickens before I found her site, and I was lost trying to figure out how to make them happy, thanks to her, my chickens are happoer than ever! P.S. Not to be rude or anything, but do you have a facebook, Andrea? You don’t have to answer, I was just wondering if you wanted to be friends on there…not trying to be weird or anything, I can understand if you don’t want to be facebook friends, it’s fine if you don’t :) Sorry, random question!
by the way, I’m sorry about that last comment that I sent you, I know that it sounds really weird! :)
I hope that we can still at least talk on the hencam, because I love talking about chickens!!!
Hi Kelly…If you are getting some new chicks, i would stick with the tried and true varieties and then maybe expand from there. Buff Orpingtons are beautiful, big bodied birds that are super docile and good layers. Wyandottes are also very attractive birds with healthy big bodies and they are good layers as well. You can’t go wrong with any version of the Rhode Island Reds..they are super healthy and lay constantly. Leghorns of any color are also tried and true…they tend to be more flighty unless you get a cross but they lay like crazy. Cochins are great of you have kids. You can carry them around like puppies and they lay cute little eggs. They do tend to go big time broody (all three of mine are huddled in the nest together as we speak) but they sure are fun to watch and they are as cute as can be. I am sure Terry can think of some other good breeds that I have forgotten about..hope that helps!
nevermind about wat I said about face book sorry!!! I love the hencam!!! I shared it with my cousin and she LOVES it too!!!!
Hi Kelly, I was totally not offended or weirded out, I’m probably the only person not on facebook or tweeting for that matter. I went to bed ridiculously early last night. I just can’t believe we got snow again, where do you live? Did we all get snow??? I went out to shovel some pathways so Graci can walk around today, she did leave me an egg this morning- love that!
lol no, we actually dident get snow, but we did get some golf-ball sized hail the other day! I think that you are a very kind person, like most of the other people on here, but I really hope that we can talk more, like commenting and stuff, if you want to… :P
Hi kelly..I LOVE my cochins! I keep them strictly for entertainment purposes! Their little eggs are perfect for a piece of toast and they are as docile as can be…The come in LOADS of colors..I have a red, some buff, and some barred..they are adorable..Good Luck!
Aww…thanks Donna! I hope that you are having fun taking care of your chickens too!! :)
Hi Donna, Thanks for your comment! It really helped me and I think that maybe the Cochins will be the right breed for me! Thank you guys for all the comments helping me with chicks! It is very helpful!!! :)
Awww. Blackie and Eleanor look sweet, and like the best of old friends. Glad they made it through the winter. It’s a testament to the wonderful care you give your girls.
I just have to say, That I’m enjoying watching the larger flock. I’m just starting my flock of back yard hens. I have 15 chicks about 4 weeks old and we are loving them. The hen house will be finihed soon.
My first hen was a hand-me-down white cochin. As sweet as they come. A few things to know about cochins – if you want lots of eggs, forget it – they go broody. Also, if you have a mud season, those feathered feet will be a mess. But, if you’re looking for a hen that will also be a pet, a cochin is a sure bet.
HenBlog
I’ve kept a backyard flock for two decades and I’ve spent years researching chicken care and observing hens. I blogged about my life with chickens and what I’ve learned here for ten years. If you’re looking for advice about a specific issue, you’ll likely find the answer in an FAQ or by doing a blog archive search.
Too cute! I know you were worried you might lose some old girls during winter…I am glad to see they fared well and are enjoying some sunshine! It has been wet and soppy here…my girls are dying to get out..I took them a bag of greens this morning to get their minds off the puddles!
Yes, I fully expected that neither of those two girls would make it to springtime. It just shows what TLC does – and having good friends :)
My music teacher was from the Netherlands and lived to be 99 yrs old. When asked his secret for a long life, he would answer, “Good food and a warm stable”. Long live Blackie and Eleanor!
That’s the life!
Oh, I just love it! They are such interesting and amazing creatures, aren’t they?!
Bonnie Jo
awwww.
SO cute! I am very happy to say that we have not lost any of our chickens during the winter, and to add to the mix, we are also getting chicks this Spring! ( sorry if it sounded like I was bragging, I wasn’t trying to, I’m just very excited!
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve had chickens, getting new chicks in the spring is always exciting :)
Yep, you’ve got that right! :D
My chicks arrived this morning!! All of them made the trip safely from Meyer Hatchery and were eating and drinking and being chicks when I reluctantly had to leave for work…
That’s the company I’m getting mine from. A first for me with them. Glad to hear they arrived healthy. I have to wait until the end of April in order to get the blue cochin that I have my heart set on. What did you get?
Aww! they must be so cute!! Yeah, that really stinks that you had to leave for work so you could’nt see them all day! :( I’m excited for my chicks too!!!
aww…was that one in the background (behind Eleanor) a Silver-Laced Wayendotte? (sorry if I spelled it wrong!) because those I think are very beautiful, but oh heck, aren’t they all beautiful?! :)
I’m so happy to see your “mature” girls. My hens are 2 and I always wonder how long they will be here (stay away, foxes!). I got Buff Orpingtons, Golden Sex Links, and Wellsummers this year. Peep peep!!!
:) I’m guessing they are chicks?
Yes, chicks:-)
My chicks are: 2 Delaware, 1 Buff Brahma, 3 Welsummers, 1 Columbian Wyandotte, and 1 Dominique. My friend that ordered with me did get a Blue Cochin- she was very cute! Her little feet already were covered in feathers!
Suprisingly the psycho puppy (10 month old black lab) has not been the least bit interested, but then she can’t see them- only hear them :)
To me it isn’t spring without baby chicks. Mine are about 10 days old now and running and “flying” all around. The last couple of nights I’ve given them worms, nothing funnier than the chase and tug of war between the chicks for the worms.
Terry I have co worker that has the blue cochin, one of the most beautiful and calm birds going. She got some blue wyondottes in her chick order this spring, can’t wait to see them grown up.
We have what we call “pincher bugs” and our chickens LOVE them. I found a small one yesterday and tossed it in with my 5-day-old chicks. So fun to watch one grab it and all the others chase it around. They are my entertainment on rainy days like this.
A man in the feed store was buying scratch and I asked what kinds of birds he had…he said Copper Marans. He said they were very docile and beautiful…anyone know about them? I guess I need to research (again!)
They sound pretty cool, but no, sorry I have never heard of them. :-(
Donna- I’ve heard wonderful things about Marans, and of course they have those chocolate colored eggs. Did you know that unlike the other colors of eggs, the brown on the Maran’s eggs can rub off? I’m partial to the slate-blue colored Marans, but could not find a breeder who sexed the chicks.
I got 5 Copper Marans this spring. I got 4 out of 5 little stinking roosters. I decided to keep one, but the rest have to go. There is such posturing and rough-housing with these little guys and they’re only eight weeks old. I got 2 eight week old Easter-eggers last night and traded one of the roos for a blue marans pullet(4 weeks old). I get her this weekend.
:) I am getting Bantam chicks this spring, anyone have an idea on what breed to get? P.S. One of the chicks I am getting, I am hoping to be a house pet, if that helps :)
Hi, I only have 1 hen and I would consider her a pet. I rescued her when I found her on the side of the road and the shelter was most likely going to have to put her down so we decided to keep her as our pet. She seems very happy and has grown up with 2 cats a pitbull and a rotwieller. Unfortunatly I rent a small cottage and my landlord is fine with the pets we have but I can’t get another one.
AWW! Yes iI am very glad that you kept her, and I hope that you are having a GREAT life with her! Have a good day!
-Kelly :)
We have 3 roosters and like…12 hens…I think? Thank goodness only 1 of them is mean though…
By the way Terry, Blackie and Eleanor are gorgeous
Hi Andrea and Kelly – I’m going to have to chime in here and say that I don’t approve of house chickens, for a number of reasons. Chickens are flock animals and only in rare circumstances should they be kept on their own. Chickens can’t be litter-box trained. I think that diapers on chickens are ridiculous and possibly unhealthy. Besides, a diaper doesn’t keep the poo from stinking. Chickens need be able to scratch in the dirt and do other chicken things that can only happen outside. Believe me, you can be just as attached to a hen that lives outside as in. Once in awhile it’s funny and fun to have a chicken visit inside. But that doesn’t mean that’s where they should live. I know that people who have indoor poultry mean well, but I just don’t think it’s best for the animals or the humans. I believe that to care for an love our animals as best we can, it is essential to recognize what they are and care for them in the context of their innate animal-ness. When we turn them into “fur babies” or “feather babies” it’s more for us than for them. And we all miss out.
That’s it for my soap box! :)
Oh, well thank you for your opinion! I will have to look into that!
OOoo I must have misunderstood what Kelly meant, my hen doesn’t live inside, she has a really nice coop that my husband built inside an enclosed pen outside, their are no diapers or a litter box, do people really do that???
We found someone who had 4 other chickens, a friend of a friend who said she could come live there and we could visit but when we brought her they were all attacking her and I had to make a decision to leave her or take her home, I took her home.
Hi Andrea- I had a feeling that your hen was outside :) It is VERY hard to introduce a lone chicken into another flock – especially if they look different from her. I’ve heard from others who just couldn’t integrate their only in with others. It caused more stress. I’ve a feeling that after all your hen has gone through that she’s grateful for your peaceful home.
Yes, people really do keep chicken indoors and they wear diapers (or sometimes no diapers.)
Hello Terry, your right they were totally different than her, I just didn’t have the heart to leave her there, plus we had already had her for 3 months, we fell in love with her and she became part of the family.
On a seperate note you had given me a few dietery suggestions 2 weeks ago and Im almost sure I see a change for the better so thank you!
In fact yesterday we were out in the yard and I could swear she was wagging her tail, she may be spending to much time with the dogs or she was just feeling like the Diva that she is!
Andrea, so glad to hear that your hen is doing better!
ooohhh yeah…maybe I won’t have it as a house chicken :)
sorry guys, I did’nt know that that could bother them, by being inside, I really should’ve thought about that more, once again i’m sorry!!! :(
No worries, I’m a newbee and learning myself, thank goodness for Terry, I feel so lucky to have found her website and she is always so helpful. I try to spend as much time with her out of her pen also so she can free range but I’ve got allot of hawks around so I make sure I’m close by and the dogs are out too, I wonder how people who have coops on roof tops in the city excersize their chickens???
Yeah, she has a great website, I had chickens before I found her site, and I was lost trying to figure out how to make them happy, thanks to her, my chickens are happoer than ever! P.S. Not to be rude or anything, but do you have a facebook, Andrea? You don’t have to answer, I was just wondering if you wanted to be friends on there…not trying to be weird or anything, I can understand if you don’t want to be facebook friends, it’s fine if you don’t :) Sorry, random question!
by the way, I’m sorry about that last comment that I sent you, I know that it sounds really weird! :)
I hope that we can still at least talk on the hencam, because I love talking about chickens!!!
Hi Kelly…If you are getting some new chicks, i would stick with the tried and true varieties and then maybe expand from there. Buff Orpingtons are beautiful, big bodied birds that are super docile and good layers. Wyandottes are also very attractive birds with healthy big bodies and they are good layers as well. You can’t go wrong with any version of the Rhode Island Reds..they are super healthy and lay constantly. Leghorns of any color are also tried and true…they tend to be more flighty unless you get a cross but they lay like crazy. Cochins are great of you have kids. You can carry them around like puppies and they lay cute little eggs. They do tend to go big time broody (all three of mine are huddled in the nest together as we speak) but they sure are fun to watch and they are as cute as can be. I am sure Terry can think of some other good breeds that I have forgotten about..hope that helps!
nevermind about wat I said about face book sorry!!! I love the hencam!!! I shared it with my cousin and she LOVES it too!!!!
Hi Kelly, I was totally not offended or weirded out, I’m probably the only person not on facebook or tweeting for that matter. I went to bed ridiculously early last night. I just can’t believe we got snow again, where do you live? Did we all get snow??? I went out to shovel some pathways so Graci can walk around today, she did leave me an egg this morning- love that!
lol no, we actually dident get snow, but we did get some golf-ball sized hail the other day! I think that you are a very kind person, like most of the other people on here, but I really hope that we can talk more, like commenting and stuff, if you want to… :P
Hi kelly..I LOVE my cochins! I keep them strictly for entertainment purposes! Their little eggs are perfect for a piece of toast and they are as docile as can be…The come in LOADS of colors..I have a red, some buff, and some barred..they are adorable..Good Luck!
Aww…thanks Donna! I hope that you are having fun taking care of your chickens too!! :)
Hi Donna, Thanks for your comment! It really helped me and I think that maybe the Cochins will be the right breed for me! Thank you guys for all the comments helping me with chicks! It is very helpful!!! :)
Awww. Blackie and Eleanor look sweet, and like the best of old friends. Glad they made it through the winter. It’s a testament to the wonderful care you give your girls.
I just have to say, That I’m enjoying watching the larger flock. I’m just starting my flock of back yard hens. I have 15 chicks about 4 weeks old and we are loving them. The hen house will be finihed soon.
My first hen was a hand-me-down white cochin. As sweet as they come. A few things to know about cochins – if you want lots of eggs, forget it – they go broody. Also, if you have a mud season, those feathered feet will be a mess. But, if you’re looking for a hen that will also be a pet, a cochin is a sure bet.