At the end of the winter, my friend, Lauren Keller Johnson, emailed me about the death of one of her chickens. She didn’t know what killed her hen and asked me to do a necropsy. Some girlfriends go shopping. Some open up diseased birds.
Like me, Lauren is a writer, and, like me, thinks through events by crafting them into words and essays. She wrote a thoughtful piece about her chicken’s demise. I wrote a companion article about the necropsy. Both are published in the August/September issue of Backyard Poultry Magazine.
You can’t make a living writing about chickens, but you can get a t-shirt. I received a women’s size large, blue, Backyard Poultry Magazine tee, which I’m going to pass along to one of you. I’ll also include the issue that has the articles in it.
All you have to do to enter is to comment below and tell me how many chickens you have, if any. I want to hear if you have other poultry, too (have I mentioned lately how much I’d like a pair of Pilgrim geese? No? Tell me about yours, because we’re full up here.)
One entry per person, please. The contest closes Wednesday, July 27 at 10 PM EDT. I’ll use a random number generator to select the winner.
Do post this on FB and retweet on Twitter. Thanks!
The contest is now closed. Winner announced on Thursday.
I had a chick, that grew into a white leghorn rooster, when I was in kindergarten, many years ago. A family friend had given it to me as an Easter gift. I adored that chick and when it grew too big to keep, my Mom gave it to a small nature preserve not far from our home. When I visited for the first time, I was sure he recognized me.
I live life with chickens vicariously through your hencam now, planning for the day I’ll have chicks once again.
Thanks!!
I have 18 chickens 2 turkeys. I had chickens 40 years ago. I forgot how engaging they are. I would love a chicken t shirt.
We have about 4 dozen hens. Many breeds from Rhode Island Reds to Silver Laced Polish. I started out with just 6 four years ago, I thought it would be a neat project for my 3 year old. Well my dear husband has went crazy with it! We just love them.
Do they have to be alive? I just bought a really cool stone chicken for my garden because alas I can have an live ones. Not sure if that means I am not eligible (which is fine (:. Geese would be wonderful, too or even ducks…
I have 30 layers which will be 1 year old the end of August. This is my second flock. I kept two from my other flock & they are 8 years old. My flock consists of Buff Orpingtons, Delawares, Leghorns, Aracunas, and Rhode Island Reds. This spring I added on a large 15′ X 15′ enclosed wire playpen for them so they can scratch in the dirt. They love it. This time of year their favorite treat is melon rind.
We all enjoy watching there goings & comings.These girls are really vocal especially the leghorns. We call it watching the Chicken Channel.
I love the idea of “watching the Chicken Channel”…hope it goes viral…This is not a T-shirt entry because we have no chickens – but I love the idea of sharing that T-shirt!
You can enter even if you don’t have chickens! Consider yourself in entered in the raffle.
We have 4 chickens(A Star and two other red sex-links, and a black sex link). They’re just over 6 months old and laying between 3 and 4 eggs a day in our sweltering 100+ degree temperatures in Oklahoma!
We have recently purchased the materials to build me a chicken coop. I have been wanting chickens for a long time now. I have been doing my research and hope to get me some chickens next spring. I have learned so much from you and your friends! Thank you and I am very excited to start raising chickens!
I have 5 much loved Bantam hens – two years old !!! We are fortunate to have a friend down the road who has 49 + hens :) Our ‘ladies’ only produce about 5-6 eggs a week !!!
We have 4 hens and “Ann” the Rooster; they are 2 1/2 year old Americanas and Rhode Island Reds. Everyday brings new adventures and conversations of what’s up in their wanderings. Weather here in Seattle has been cool and wet; the “girls” let us know about it.
Hi Terry, my son Thomas wants to enter your contest.
This is what he wants to tell you.
Hi Terry, I had 6 chickens but they were killed. They were great pets, they gave us lots of eggs & we gave them lots of love. I made a poster of them for my school science project.
we have had four hens for about 2 weeks :) We are waiting for our first eggs :)
Hello I have almost 40 birds total 28 layers, 4 bantams, 3 broilers, and 2 turkeys for thanksgiving! I love them all! This summer my Mille Fluer Duccle bantam hatched her own eggs it was an amazing experience!
We have 7 hens. Three are Plymouth Barred Rocks, age 1+ years (Daisy, Lily & Petunia). We adopted 2 Easter Eggers (Cinnamon & Nutmeg), one white Bantum (Tinkerbell) in April when they were three days old. Our latest is a Black Star (Jasmine). All of the new ones are three months old. We ‘re not supposed to have “poultry” in our small rural town.(?!) We like to say we have “pets” (sort of like funny looking parrots). Our neighbors LOVE the big brown eggs from the three Barred Rocks. We also have 16 Koi in the garden pond. I had a ball making a new two-story coup this spring. Its 8’ tall by 7’long plus a large run that blends in with the house (inconspicuous, of course). I used several reclaimed old doors and found out how much I love working with power tools. I’m addicted to your web site. Thanks for all the entertainment.
I started with one, and then got three more. One was sick, and brought illness to the flock. I lost three, but have 7 now that are quite healthy and are thriving. I adore my girls. I have a one acre grove and they organic and spend a good deal of time free ranging every day!! I would love to read your article!
21 hens and 1 very cocky OEG bantam rooster named Murray.
Three ducks, Quackers, Harley and Mary Lou.
Don’t have any geese but have had them in the past. If you need poultry that is relatively quiet geese are probably not for you. Great “watch dogs”.
When raised from goslings can be very social to humans at times too social.
If given access (which mine did)to a pond and good grass their feed consumption is almost nill. Like all poultry they will always eat grain.
Good morning Terry, I have 6 pullets just about to start laying. They are my 6th flock since I began keeping chickens 20 years ago.
Hi Terry, I’ve got four right now. Speckled Sussex,Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire Red and Black Sex-Link. I loaned out my Buff Orpington because she wouldn’t quit sitting and his wouldn’t sit, but once she got to her new home she liked it so much she quit sitting and has become his Roosters favorite, now she doesn’t want to come back home. Hind site I should have just brought his eggs to my coop and let her sit on them there. But as long as she’s happy, I’m happy :-)
Hi Terry, I have 4 hens. We have just started keeping chickens and we are loving it! We have a Barred Rock, a silver-laced wynadotte, Silver Leghorn,and a red sex link. Their names are Minerva, Filomena, Beatrice, and Prudence respectively. Filomena and Beatrice are named after my grandmothers. The birds live in a homemade coop. We built it over a few days and it seems to have worked out perfectly for them. They love treats…we feed them raisins, blueberries and worms (when we can find them). They have found that black-painted toenails don’t taste as good as raisins. These are some smart girls…
Oh how I wish I had chickens!!! I have to look at the hen cam every day to get my fill. I have some homesteading books and I’m trying to learn all I can to be ready for the day when we’re in a position to have our own chickens. I know that the real learning will take place when we’re hands on.
We have 7 chickens right now! Our older 4 have just started laying!!! There is a Silver-Laced Wyandotte named Hetty, an Australorp named Abigail, a Rhode Island Red named Meg, and a Buff Orpington named Gwen! The little ones are 2 months old. There is a White Leghorn named Tilly (You can probably guess who inspired THAT name!!!), a brown layer named Eowyn, and an EE named Gimpy (She was hatched with a twisted leg but is doing wonderfully!)! We love reading your blog, Terry! We love the HenCam too!
I have 2 Leghorns that are about 18 weeks and started laying 2 weeks ago. I also have 3 6 week old hens. A Rhode Island Red a Golden Sexlink and a Barred Rock who is a little sensitive. They are our only pets. We have a backyard flock. We live in the city of beautiful Boise,ID….
Hello Terry! My family has of flock of 30 chickens, there breeds are ranging, from bantams to Jersey Giants. I don’t have any hen buddies, but a few of the rooster are my pals; they love to be under my feet and around me when I’m in the yard with them. They also enjoy being held.
I bought two golden lace polish hens this year; and they are growing into beautiful hens!
We also have 11 call duck, ducks. One a sure drake, two for sure hens, the other were hatched in two different hatchings this year and are two young for me to tell what they are.
I really love poultry; they’re living (barn yard) art~!!
I have a ceramic rooster, does that count! But I do have six cats. And Shoo-Shoo is turning into a “Lulu” >^..^<
We have seven chickens: 2 Americanas, a blue Silkie chick, a Silkie-Serama mix, a Serama rooster, a buff Orpington, and a buff Cochin. We get 2 blue eggs and one brown egg almost every day. Sunset, the Silkie-Serama is mothering Sage, the baby blue Silkie. Sunset was hatched by two broody hens, a Silkie and a Serama. We bought Sage as a 4-day old chick so Sunset wouldn’t be too depressed when the egg she was sitting on didn’t hatch. We love your blog and all your chickens. We know almost all of them by name, especially the gems. We love Little Blue Sapphire!
My very first chicken experience as an adult happened by accident. We own a truck repair service and one day, one of those chicken trucks came in with a problem. The guys were having to use the torch and cut something away on the rearends of the truck. While doing that, a little white chicken popped out of no where, it must have been riding on the axles and with the torch it was getting to hot.
Everyone there knowing I am a animal lover, helped in catching it and putting it in safe place. Mean while at home I was trying to figure out a place for it to live. We all thought it was a Rooster, showing how smart we all were, but the next day or two, my husband called and said your rooster is laying eggs.
Well, we got her home and named her Miracle, because of your traveling adventures. She was the sweetest chicken, she lived for several more years and gave us joy everyday. This all happened several years ago but now we live on a farm and have lots of chickens. Our crew consists of Banty Cochins, Showgirls, Silkies, Sreamas, Mille Fleurs and 25 laying hens. Life is great with the chickens.
I am getting chickens next month for my birthday. I am picking up my house on August 4th and will get 1 Easter Egger rooster, 2 hens, 2 Blue Hamburg, 2 Black Australorp and 2 Rhode Island red hens. I can hardly wait. I had chickens, geese, swans, quail and pigeons as a child and my Mom has about 20 chickens and guinea fowl.
We have Lucy, who is a Golden Sebright, Angel- a White Plymouth Rock, Roxy-Red Sex Link and our buffs- Mrs. Beasley, Buffy and Sissy. We love our girls and they love us. Even despite the horrid heat they’ve been putting out 5-6 eggs a day for the last week. I guess they are showing their appreciation for the watermelon snack they get everyday!
We have a great Buckeye Rooster named “Brutus” along with a Buckeye hen named “B”…5 Rhode Island Red’s looked after by “Ninja” our Japenese Rooster…2 Silkies..and 4 Cochins..my son shows most of these in 4H…we both love chickens!
Born in the city, I have always been a country girl at heart. So when I moved to a small town some years ago, I bought two chicks to determine if that country girl heart was real. That was several years ago, and I’ve had as many as 18 birds but I’m down to a dozen today. My girls free range in my yard and I enjoy watching the cars slow down to have a look. I have been told that people who don’t know me personally refer to me as the chicken lady, and that’s okay by me. Even more rewarding are the number of people who made the decision to start their own flock after watching me start mine.
I have over 100 chickens in many different breeds and love them all I have been raising chickens all my life. I also have Turkeys Ducks, Geese, Guineas and Dairy Goats. I love Backyard Poultry magazine and read it cover to cover. I look forward to your article :)
We raise blue & splash cochins and also have d’uccle banthams, 15. In all :)
I’ll be sure the read the articles. I am always eager to read about what killed chicken in order to avoid the same fate. We have 22 chickens, although we intended to have 7 or 8, and I am not sure how I would handle the death of any of the 22. Each is a different animal with his/her own quirks.
The first thing I do everyday is check your website to see how my virtual chickens are doing. I don’t have any chickens but get to babysit a friends hens sometimes. I hope that counts. She has six wonderful chickens.
I have only a cast iron rooster. But I do have a small chicken coop and a brooder. I’m ready for next spring. I have visited the Dallas Chicken Coop Tour for two years. I’m eager.
I have 22 chickens at the moment. The numbers seems to change a lot due to deaths and births. I have 3 small coops and a brooder. In 2 years when I retire, I plan to expand their numbers and also to acquire a pair of dwarf goats. I love my chickens and can’t imagine life without them.
We have 38 chickens. The girls are free range and have total access. Some days its good . . . . others not so much. I ordered 25 pullets from Myers . . . on your lead . . . and they are just about 4 weeks old and ready to get out there. We have had ducks in the past, mallards, which I think are just wonderful. Would love to sport the chicken t-shirt!
Hello, I emailed you about my Road Island Red, Rosy (She was laying the rubbery masses).I treated her with Tylan and so far she hasn’t layed anymore masses. She still isn’t her bossy self, but that is ok with me! I hope to have many more years with her and my 6 other hens. I can’t wait to get my issue of Backyard Poultry to read the article! Thanks again for your advice, Stephanie
I meant Rhode Island Red! Duh!!
Hi Terry. I have 15 assorted hens; Rhode Island Reds, Silkies, Cochins, etc. Thank you for the blog on heat last week. It was 106 here in Hershey and although I was diligent on supplying fresh water and a fan, I unfortunately lost one of my hens. My husband quickly did research and we have now installed a mesh tarp over part of the run area. (The one tree was not enough for shade) I added fresh straw and really wet down the area under the mesh. I truly appreciate all the information that you are willing to share. It is finally raining here, but the forecast is for 95 on Friday; thankfully I have off from work then and can keep an eye on the girls all day. Take Care.
Hi Terry- i just got four hens and one rooster (the rooster was supposed to be a hen) last november. i love how each of them has their own personality and the trust they have in me. i am also afraid of the day one will pass and wonder if five chickens equals more heartbreak, but hoping that this will not be for a long, long time. great giveaway!
I have not gotten Chickens just yet as there is a $1,000.00 fee that has to be paid before you have chickens. I am gathering info and joined a local group Chickunz. Hopfully I am able to save up and get chickens soon!!
Hi Terry, your hens,chicks,goats, and candy make my day everyday :) I have 3 beloved grandchicks which I spent 15 hrs a week digging worms for them, hanging out with them, they follow me around the organic garden, I cooked them their favorite food-guinoa with nuts and peas, they sit on my lap while I hug them and tell them constantly how much I adore and love them :) Thanks for sharing your beloved pets :))
We have 4 Barred Rock hens, 2 Americauna hens and 1 well-behaved Barred Rock rooster. Do I count the 3 white broilers? They are only here until the middle of August and then they wil be “relocated” ;)
I have 4 chickens: 1 white Silkie, 1 Gold Laced Wyandotte, and 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes.
We have 2 chickens, and a really handsome rooster.
My little coop shelters 6 Americaunas, 3 barred rocks, 3 pearl leghorns, 1 gold laced wyandotte, 1 pencil lined wyandotte, 2 Columbian/Delawares, 1 black Australorpe hen, 1 Rhode Island Red, 2 bantam Americaunas (eggs look like Robin’s eggs) I also have 1 mistake, a Black Australorpe rooster who has a fine voice. In the past I’ve kept geese, ducks, several budgies, a parrot and a pet crow! I also helped raise a stranded Cooper’s hawk chick and enjoyed watching it fly away, with a warning never to return!
Hi Terry!
I have eight little adorable birds sitting in my coop right now. One of them is called Valerie, a beautiful show Barred Plymouth Rock, though she is still a pullet. Then there are the two giants, Mist and Mystic, the two Buff Cochin Pullets. Still, we have the remaining three originals, Poppy, Violet and Petal, all Isa Browns who we saved from the Market. Poppy and Violet I raised from little chicks, and now they are fine layers. But wait, we still have Spaz, our lil insane rooster, who is a silkie cross, and Colors, a little white Pekin duck. Unfortunately she lost her siblings to an illness and a fox, though we are hoping she will be getting a friend soon. Congrats to the person who wins!
We have 20 plus chickens… some are “yard birds” and roam freely around the yard and some in a special home !!! We love our chickees !!!!
Greeting from good old Northern England! We have 7 hens who live in 2 groups called A Troup and B Troup. A Troop consist of a Coral Nick called Daisy, A Sussex Light called Myrtle and a Bovan Goldine called Margo. Don’t know what B Troop are as when they came to me last August, I was their 4th home but they are called Laverne & Shirley, Thelma & Louise. We can’t put the 2 lots together as its world war so they have 2 large pens. They roam the garden on a rota basis every other day. We also have 6 Benrese Mountain Dogs who know who the garden belongs to – they know there place! The dogs don’t bother the girls but the girls do chase the dogs – I think they find it funny when a huge 7 stone dogs runs from them!
From Arkansas with a ‘warm’ hello make that HOT. this week we are expecting 108-110! My lovely crew is fairing pretty well amazingly, I’m sure the cooling measures taken to help them are appreciated~ I have 13 Cinnamon Queen girls, temporarily with them is a 13 wk.Blue Andalusian(started to crow at 8wk and into the topping catagory at..11wk) He ‘Blue Carman’, was(Carmen) ha, is going back to breeder in a week or so as a breeder for her stock. In the other baby quarters are..1 Blue Andalusian pullet,3 French Wheaten pullets,1Blue Lace Red Wyandotte pullet and um 1 BLRW roo, was so tiny at 2wk has gone from Miss Daisey to Rocky status, indeed was a surprise! I sure do not need a rooster but I will let him stay for a while, he is a sweetie. Terry these little ones are the same age as your beautiful gems!
I have a rather motley mix of 36 chickens and 4 guineas. They are all named and I love them all – some more than others! I have Polish, Ameraucana, Cochin, Cornish, Production Red, Bantam D’uccle, Bantam Salmon Faverolle, Austrolorp, Welsummer, Partridge Rock, Cuckoo Maran and I think that covers them all!
We started with two – Doris and Daisy – which sadly went down to one after a fox attack which Doris survived (just) after lots of physio from us. After that we decided to start working our way through the alphabet, so acquired Ellie and Eddie. We now have a lovely pepperpot of 3: red, white and black. I think ex-battery are next on the list, but we need some more room first…
Hello from the California Sierras!
I have six chickens total: 2 Barred Rocks –Myrtle and Pearl, 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes –Agatha and Henrietta, and 2 Golden Sexlinks –Honey and Butterscotch. My daughter, who is one and a half, loves to watch all of their chicken antics and the coop is her favorite place to hang out. They are such great entertainment that we just put a bench over there to watch them play during the day.
Dear Terry, I don’t have ANY chickens…..yet! We currently have ordinances in our subdivision that prevent owning “livestock” within the city limits. Wah! When we move or retire, whichever comes first, my first trip will be to the town hall to READ the ordinances about having chickens! YOU and your blog are the reasons I can’t wait to have my own gals! LOVE your blog!! Karla
I SO look forward to the day I can have chickens. Meanwhile I check in on your girls daily (or several times daily). I’m also reading and as much as possible about good (and ample) coop/run design and chicken keeping. Your blog is GREAT for that. I’d definitely wear the tee, and would love that copy of the mag. Thanks so much for the opportunity!
I love reading about everyone’s chickens. I have 16 hens and one rooster. The rooster is an Americauna named Toby. He’s a pretty good boy who needs alone time in his “rooster cave” to talk to himself and work out his issues. He looks after his girls very well after he gets things sorted out:-) I have 4 Barred Rocks and 1 Buff Orpington who are 2 years old. I have three Americauna/Barred Rock crosses who are 1 year old named Lena, Hannah and Clarabelle. Two of them lay green eggs. They are all black so they are called The Black Girls in our flock. And I have 8 chicklets from this year who are now just over 4 months old. A couple have laid their first little eggs. They don’t all have names yet, but are all such pretty colors. 2 Buffs, 2 Wellsummers, and 4 Sex Links (red). We have 2 coops so the younger ones can still sleep in their own house, but they all free range during the day. I love watching the younger ones point their beaks forward and run from one place to the next. They are practicing getting crab apples from the lower branches of our tree and learning to grab pieces of bread or red grapes, then run away so nobody steals it. Such fun!
We have a small farm in Mississippi, and currently have around 50 chickens. We have 9 full grown layers & 3 roosters from last year. We had a problem with hawks and wild dogs, and lost a lot of our full grown population. Of the grown ones remaining, we have 3 aracauna hens & 1 rooster, 3 rhode island red hens & a rooster, 1 dominique hen, an old english spangled bantam hen, one silkie, and a bantam rooster. We have a whole new brood coming up now from spring chicks. We hatched 6 aracaunas this spring & purchased a dozen more aracauna chicks (we love the green eggs), 6 white crested polish bantams, 5 mottled houdans, 2 black sumatras, 6 old english spangled bantams, 4 turkens (or naked necks, 4 sex linked hens, and a wild little red bantam rooster. We chose most of them purely for my entertainment! We also hatched out 18 turkey eggs this spring (eastern wild turkeys), and we have a few quail that were hatched last spring. We have also had black african geese, but we sold them because they were unruly and bit the children when they became fully grown. We have had guineas and mallard ducks as well. We’ve had goliath turkeys and several eastern wilds prior to this past spring’s hatchings. We love our birds. We have a swing out by the coop so that we can get our “chicken therapy” in the evenings after a long day at work! LOL
Sadly I only have 3 hens right now. One barred rock and 2 australorps. But I have plans for more. After all I’m known to my grands as grandma chickenj!
I have no chickens yet but am in the process of building a country home. there, I will raise a few or maybe 10 “pet” chickens, and yes, I will hug them if I can.
This site has provided me with endless information to help plan their new home. Thanks so much!!! Tammy
Hi Terry. I just have 2 chickens now. I did have 6 but two were eggs I hatched in an incubator and both turned out to be roosters. They are now happily looking after their own hens on Exmoor. 2 of my hens died – a light Sussex hybrid (Little White Hen) and a maran cuvee (Chilli – it was snowing when I got her). I still have a Fenton Blue (a cream legbar hybrid called Atilla the Hen) who has stopped laying now and a blue Polish called Hattie who lost her lovely white hat to Chilli bullying her but at 3 years old still lays an egg most days in the summer. They all laid different coloured eggs so I could see who was laying what and I could enjoy having different looking chickens. Hattie is completely scatty but I have a soft spot for Polish hens
No real chickens here, but I do proofreading for “The Poultry Magazine”. And I love to hug other peoples’ chickens!! Thanks for the chance to win.
Hi there, Terry. I have 4 girls here in Texas. In May I got a blue americauna (Amy), an olive egger (Penny), a cuckoo marans (Helen), and a blue copper marans (Liz). They are all around 19 weeks old. This is my first foray into having chickens and I’m loving it. However, it’s hard to see them in this Texas heat. They get plenty of watermelon and frozen blueberries and lounge in front of their fan most of the day.
I have three Orpington chicks, two roosters and one hen, two female bantams and eight Brown Shavers. that makes 13 in all. And yes, I do hug my chickens
There names are Faith, Hope, Strength, Susan, Henrietta, Mary, Martha, Ruth, Lucy, Rebecka, Amy, Rhoda and Rachel.
Love the chicken tee shirt, I would wear it proudly. My chicken count totals fourteen, 13 ladies and 1 very lucky rooster. Thanks for the opportunity to win! Greetings from Maine, Julie.
I have 2 Barred Rock and 2 Production Red. Love the frizzles, but can only have 4.
I have 9 hens. Six that are 2 years old and 3 new ones that I got this spring. All but one are laying.
I have 3 sweet hens, a NH red, a Red comet and a golden laced wyndotte. I plan on adding some barred rock to my flock and can’t believe how much my hens loved to be hugged!
I don’t have any chickens but I wish I did. I enjoy your so much and call them my “virtual chickens.” Thank you so much for sharing them.
I have 12 standard size birds, 5 bantams and 6 Serama. My favorites are the Buff Orpington and the Americana, But then the Serama are so sweet and friendly. Actually they all have their own little qualities and quirks. I’m terribly addicted I suppose.
We have 5 chicks that are 5 weeks old (we had 6, but lost one Silkie Bantam 2 days ago). The rest of the girls are: 3 Silkie Bantams and 2 Easter Eggers. We are just getting started with raising chickens, and have just finished their backyard coop. We are excited about this new venture! Holla if you’re ever in San Diego. :)
Hi! I have 5 chickens (Marsala, Coconut, Dorito, Elizabeth and Charlotte). I also have a Dwarf Rabbit named Waffles who lives in the pen with the chickens. She has a hutch and they have a coop, so they sleep separately at night (but I have found bunny droppings in the nesting boxes, so I think she likes to visit the coop during the day). I really enjoy your hen cam, and love to see another bunny co-habitating with the chickens.
Hi Terry
I would love that T-shirt. I currently have 10 girls and one boy on an urban house block in a suburb of the national capital of Australia – Canberra.
Of my girls, I have four bantam langshans – Bubbas, ATWC, Ms Brown and Blackie; I also have Hammie the Hamburg; Bam Bam the Pekin, Gertrude the Australorp; Cheese a Rhode Island Red; Allee the Sea bright and Fluffy duck a Rhode Island Red x silky.
They are all very spoilt rotten and have their individual personalities. For example: Bubbas has only recently taken to squawking at the back door to be let in to lay her egg. Unfortunately my housemate has also taken to enabling her to do this by allowing her in and setting her up in a towel.
My current rooster is a pekin x silky and he’s just such a beautiful bird with a fantastic calm personality and fancy feathers. He takes care of his girls very well and to ensure he doesn’t disturb our neighbours we bring him inside each night. Each night I bring him in and sit him on his parrot stand where he stays until morning. And each morning I’m greeted by him stamping on his stand impatiently waiting to get out to his girls.
I have had many chickens over the years. Some I have lost to feral pests, some have died peacefully and some I have given away to friends to enjoy. My mother, who is on a farm has over 100 girls, has even been the recipient of a number of spoilt roosters – Sumo a white light Sussex and Chiefy a Rhode Island Red. They still remember their name and me when I visit.
While I don’t blog like you, I do like to share my chickens; I upload photos to FB and video to youtube – http://www.youtube.com/user/dangarstoll.
I love your blog and reading about your girls. Keep writing.
Cheers Daniel
We have 4 hens…soon to add 3 or 4 more! A Dominique, Rhode Island Red and two Americauna’s, we live in urban Portland, Oregon!
I love reading your blog and have caused my co-workers to become addicted to checking your cams at least once a day.
thanks for all you do!
Up until yesterday, I had 7 hens. I now have 6. :( Had to have my husband cull my very sick Barnevelder. I have a Light Sussex, white Easter Egger, buff bantam Cochin, bantam Rhode Island Red, Black Australorp and Blue Ameraucana. I’m crazy about each and every one of them. (p.s.-I used to have two bantam leghorns a few years ago, too)
i feel kinda bad entering because i just went through a slew of stuff trying to downsize, but i also love, love, love your blog and the shirt, and would love to read the articles, soooooo…
i had three chickens and just when they were laying one got attacked by a dog and killed. i gave the other two to a local farmer because i couldn’t stand the thought of them possibly meeting the same fate.
i now have six chickens that should start laying sometime next month. they are: Big Mama Cass a Black Australorp, Frittata an Ameraucana, Henny Penny a Dominique, Miss May Peeps a Delaware, Nugget a Partridge Rock, and Quiche a Welsummer.
it’s been over two years since my first two girls went to live on the farm. i went to visit them for the first time this weekend. i hugged the farmer, thanked him again for taking my girls, and told him about my current flock. i got to see my two girls happy in his pen strutting around with roos, turkeys, geese, and even a pony!
I have 11 chickens in a mixed coop, 10 hens and one rooster whom we named Shim as for a long time we wernt sure if he was male or female, and he still does’nt crow. In our coop, are 3 bantam americauna, 4 full sized americauna,a Polish, and 2 Brabantums and I’m still not sure what type shim is. Its funny how attached I got to my birds, how they croon to me when I let them out of the coop in the morning, and how they will follow me as I walk around the garden. I enjoy reading magazines like Backyard Poultry, and the Facebook sites toget wonderful advice from people who enjoy having chickens as much as I do. We live in the suburbs of Arkansas now but will soon be moving to the country in Missouri, Where I’m hoping to get some Dominiques like my Grandparents had.
I had chickens growing up with my father, and have recently acquired land in western NY where I plan to raise chickens again. I love your website and visit often, as it has inspired me; your pictures are wonderful. For now, the only chicken is me. Suzanne
I don’t have any chickens yet, but we’re planning on having a few next year. We did go on the Portland (OR) Tour de Coops just a week or so ago though.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bladerunnerpdx/sets/72157627220142224/
I don’t have any chickens yet, but can’t wait until I finish college so I can start my own flock! Love your blog.
Terry, I fell in love with your Buffy back in 2007, so I started my first chicken flock with 4 Buff Orps. If you Google the breed name, my BYC page on Buff Orps pops up in the first five choices. I love hencam, and I still visit your girls every day. I’m so glad Buffy is still with us.
Laura,
Cape Cod
We have 23 Bantams which my girls love, three Swedish Blue Ducks that they adore, five French Guineas that they are kind of afraid of, twelve new laying hens that they are patiently waiting to grow up and lay, and fourteen of the good ole’ girls that have been laying for a few years now. Altogether, we have 52 birds hanging out at our house. Wow, I didn’t realize we had so many until I did this.
We have 14 pullets and a little rooster. They are 13 weeks old and we give them hugs everyday :)
Good morning,
I have no chickens currently, only the desire to have some. I do have a home daycare, and the children love checking in with your cams. I just recently found your website mentioned in ‘Hobby Farm’…(I can dream, can’t I?) THe group consensus is that Mazie is their favorite….for now….
Miss Debbie
Well Terry..you know my story..about 50 hens and one big Bantam roo…I could not live without my birds. They are my solice after a wicked day babysitting 1000 children and trying to get them to get excited about books…Hope I win!
I have six chickens — 1 Plymouth Rock, 2 New Hampshire/Rhode Island Red Mixes, 2 “Barnyard Mixes” (Buff Orpington and something else!), and 1 Silkie Rooster named Dali. The Barnyard Mixes are about 14 weeks old and the rest of the chickens are between 15-17 months old. We are planning on ordering more Silkies soon! I love your blog and love reading about all your chickens! You have great advice.
~ Shannon
I am expecting a delivery of 25 chick tomorrow — 6 Golden Buffs (sex link), 6 Ameraucanas, 6 Cukoo Marans, Welsummer hens, and 1 Welsummer rooster. I can’t wait until they’re here!
We have 8 chickens- barred rock, buff orpington, RI Red, 4 barnyard bantams, and a bantam rooster to keep guard:) Just scored a collection of ceramic chickens in varying colors on the side of the road yesterday- what a find!! Would LOVE that t-shirt!
Just in time! We have three hens; an Araucana, Silver Laced Wyandotte, and a Plymouth Rock. Love them all. They’re two years old this year.
I live in the Bronx, NY, and while I don’t have any chickens, it is not unheard of for escapees to turn up in lots and backyards. For a couple of years, somewhere to the east of my kitchen window, there was a dawn crowing!
I’m not zoned to have chickens but would love having them! I just read in our local paper that I could rent a goat to “cut” down my grass. Maybe I can rent a chicken?
I had a “pet” chicken when I was a teenager-a sweet Rhode Island Red. I’ve been hooked on chickens ever since. While we can’t keep chickens in our neighborhood, I do enjoy visiting YOUR chickens nearly every day!
Hi Terry,
I have 6 hens,and 2 goats of course. They live together and get along great here in Beverton, OR. Love your site, I had to get camera’s on my girls as well it’s so fun being at work and checking in on them. My co-works always ask: how are all the girls and can we check in on them at lunch?
Hi Terry,
I have girls total. 2 silkie crosses, 2 pekin bantams (which are the cutes things ever!), 1 araucana, and 1 andalusian. I’ve been keeping backyard chooks for 10 months now. Nothing makes my happier than spending time with my girls. Thank you for sharing all the valuable information that you do. Cheers!
I have 8 Rhohde Island Reds that are about 4 years old now, 2 mottled cochin cochin bantams, 1 white cochin bantam, that are all also about 4 years old now, 7 of my new older chicks witch are all different breeds tht are about 4 months old, 4 other chicks tht are about 1 month and 2 weeks old, and 7 more chicks under a broody hen tht are due th 5th of august or so, but its hard to say when they will hatch.
My daughter and I are in the incubating and building a coop stage. We’re very excited for our very first batch of eggs to hatch (Aug. 4th!) In there we have Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, Easter Eggers and 1 Blue Laced Red Wyandotte. Can’t wait!
Hi Terry..I have 3 chickens. A Barred Rock, Rhode Island Red and a Black split to purple Orphington they are all between 13 to 17 weeks.
I hugged my chickens on Saturday and now none of them will let me so much as touch them since then LOL..They are also establishing their pecking order and My FAVORITE the Orphington taking a lot of flack.. She is such a sweet one and has a joyous way of flying over towards me but Rosy the Rivitor, the RI Red runs her off and some times Miss Priss joins in. I hope I win I want that T shirt! I really enjoy your Blogs and the cams.
Does a glass hen who holds butter count ? No hens here yet, though maybe someday.
Hi Terry, my girls are Miss Mary Bennet and Miss Deborah Mitford, both 2.5 year old Rhode Island Red hybrids, Miss Kitty Bennet a 1 year old Cornish Game/Rhode Island cross, Miss Georgiana Darcy a luscious Light Sussex and five 11 weeks old chicks. I change my mind 10 times a day about what they are but I think there are 2 girls – a Welsummer and a Light Sussex – and 3 roosters, a Light Sussex, and 2 x Araucanas. But then again maybe not…. Last week Miss Jane Bennet sadly passed away from egg peritonitis and I miss her. Other flock members were: Miss Elizabeth Bennet (murdered by a fox) and Miss Lydia Bennet and Miss Charlotte Lucas (murdered by a neighbour’s dog). It is hard keeping chickens sometimes but I do so value your blog and it is my first port of call whenever I need advice. Thank you!
Terry, think about giving the T-shirt to Jane Blumberg in Concord. She’s written and is staging a full-length musical, called Chicken Man, about an old chicken keeper who helps his village rally against clear-cutting loggers. It’s got parts for kids and grownups from Concord and Carlisle, it’s got great songs, its got ecology too, as well as nobility and romance.
We personally have four backyard, urban chickens. We also helped raise 17 chickens for our community urban farm in downtown St. Louis – the 13th Street Community Garden. Our children are the primary caregivers to our critters. Our own birds are fun, provide great eggs and keep the bugs to a minimum in the yard. And they’re not bad for entertainment too. All of the chicken humor, and movies like “Chicken Run” make so much more sense once you’ve owned these wonderful animals.
I just love hearing the names people have given their chickens. The old-fashioned names suit them so well.
I have (ahem) 4 one-year-old chickens, plus the (ahem) 3 others. We are only allowed 4 ‘poultry’ animals in the city, so I’m not sure WHAT those other birds are doing in my flock. My goodness, what a surprise.
It took me about 25 years to convince my husband to let me have some chickens, but last year he gave in and I rustled up some peeps and a coop. Never having lived around chickens before, I had no idea how entertaining they would be. I think I spent more time standing around, watching the chickens, than gardening last year.
This year we have added on a secure, covered run extension, put a roof on the original, too-small run, and I am in the process of commissioning a tall, fenced day spa for the girls to scratch and peck in the open air. They demand it.
I have a mixed flock: Betty, Priscilla, Olive, Lucy, and Hawkeye are the one-year-olds. (Britt Red, Barred Plymouth Rock, Silver-Laced Wyandotte, mutt and Ameraucana). The Nuggets, about a month away from starting to lay, are Sylvia and Maisie (Dominique/Lavender Orpington cross and Dominique). One of the reasons I am getting a tall fence is because The Nuggets keep flying out of my thrift store dog run barrier. Bad chickens!
I love my girls and spoil them rotten.
Hi Terry!
My husband and I have 6 ladies total, 3 older egg-laying and 3 almost egg-laying. They are a buff orpington (Also named Buffy!), a Frizzle Cochin named Phoebe, an grayish aracauna named Bossy who recently escaped our yard but was returned to us miraculously(!), an olive egger named June, a silver laced Wyandotte named Winnie and a black copper maran named Dottie.
I have never raised chickens before myself, but my husband has an affinity for them having had them as a kid. We love our ladies dearly and we love to read your blog :D
I have seven hens 3 pure bred and 4 mixed offspring that my sister hatched in her incubator.
We have five hens: Barred Rock, Buff Orpington, Speckled Sussex, Gold-laced Wyandotte, and a Silver-laced Wyandotte. No other poultry, but I did have ducks (Mallards and Khaki Campbells) growing up in Berkeley.
My wife would love the shirt!
We have seven hens total. Three are Gingernut Rangers – we have had them for close to two years now. We have four new additions this year – two Buff Orpingtons and two Columbian Rock Cross. The three older hens are in a period of transition, one is molting and one is broody, so trying to keep everyone happy in the early AM has been a challenge. They are slowly getting introduced to the younger ones. Today they were all in the same pen (with a divider) for the first time today. So far, so good! Love your blog!
I’ve been around chickens, off and on, since I was a toddler. My paternal grandparents made their living from chickens so I knew them early on. Also, during the war years we had 4 or 5 hens (in Chevy Chase). My husband and I moved to my parents farm in 1960 and we had hens there (Buff Orpingtons) as well as geese, ducks and peafowl (+ 200 sheep, ponies, pigs, and beef cattle). Circumstances changed and we moved to a house in a small town; we still had a few chickens and a lot of ponies! We bought our own farm in 1977 and now I have 7 old hens (4 years old) (2 Delawares, 3 Buff Orpingtons and 2 N.H. Reds)+ Prince Orpington and Prince Delaware. We also have the “new chickies” (about 4 months old); mostly Ameraucanas + 1 Delaware (a rooster)+ a couple of other odd breeds for a total of 9. Plus I have 4 Chinese Geese (the lone goose just hatched a gosling!) and 3 Guineas that think they’re chickens. And one pony.
6 Easter Eggers, 2 silver, 2 Gold Laced Wyndottes, 1 Barred Rock, considering a bronze Breasted Turkey