A Rooster By Any Other Name...

As mentioned in my last posting (check that out HERE) Ruby’s feathers were pointing more toward cockerel than pullet. And things have finally become official.

This little Bantam Rhode Island Red has finally crowed!

The chicken we’ve been calling Ruby will now be called Rudy, and we’re extremely excited by it. I’m not sure if our neighbors are, but us? Definitely. 

Let’s see Rudy in action!

When we first brought our Flock home, they were all underweight and infested with chicken lice. (More on this a few Posts back, so check that out HERE.) Obviously we didn’t know this. And I doubt the place where we got them from knew it either, as it wasn’t as reputable as all of its online reviews said.

Ruby - as he was known back then - was small and had a very pale comb, usually the sign of a pullet if everything I’ve read is correct. Anyway, that’s probably why the man who helped us thought she was a female. Or maybe he just didn't care. Also, the fact that she was going through her first molt didn’t help matters. There were no hackle feathers. There were no saddle feathers. There were no sickle feathers. But again... it was her first molt and what eventually would become her full-on self - or his full-on self, as we know now - hadn’t begun to show.

Here’s a quick Before-and-After comparison of Rudy from when we first brought him home and now.

 

Yep. That's the same chicken. It's amazing what can happen after some proper care and a good molt.

What’s that, you ask? What are hackle feathers and saddle feathers and sickle feathers?

Hackle Feathers are the group of feathers found on the neck of a chicken. When it comes to hens, the hackle feathers are usually a little bit wider and maybe even a bit rounded. And with roosters these feathers are generally long and thin and pointy-looking, kind of like hair.

Rudy and his Hackles, Saddles, and Sickles

As for Saddle Feathers, this is the group of feathers that look like, well... a saddle. They sit on the back and are right in front of where the tail starts. Hen and Roosters both have saddle feathers, but a rooster's saddles are generally longer and come to a point.

This brings us to Sickle Feathers. These are only found on roosters. And they are the tail feathers that are long and curved like... wait for it.... like a sickle.

You can read more about Hackle, Saddle, and Sickle feathers HERE. And a lot more about chicken feathers in general HERE and also HERE!

Anyway, Once these three groups of feathers started to become pronounced, it was just a matter of time before the crowing started. And start it did!

So, we now have a rooster in our midst. And while we may not be the most popular family in the neighborhood because of it, I think it’s pretty cool.

A Quick Chickeny Introduction...

As was mentioned in my last post (check it out HERE), we purchased a flock after several years of not being able to. Seeing as it was late-autumn, our options were limited as to where we could actually get a new flock. So we did what anyone would do and we turned to the internet to find a reputable chicken-seller, be it a feed & pet store or ranch.

All of the feed stores in our area had no chicks available. This was completely understandable considering how late in the season it was. And they also had no adult chickens available, as it seems that the pandemic - at least in our area - has prompted people to start raising chickens. (Read an article about that HERE) I’m 100% all for this! Let’s give chickens good homes and good, long lives. Either way, if I wanted chickens I needed to go to a ranch.

Again, the internet was where I turned.

The closest ranch to me that was selling chickens wasn’t all that far - something like 20 miles or so. It came very highly rated online so that’s where we headed. When we got there we saw goats and sheep and alpaca and turkeys. And, of course, we saw chickens. A lot of chickens.

The man who helped us showed us the heated Chick House where there were more chicks than I could count. We didn’t want chicks as we didn’t want to have to deal with setting up a brooder or any of that. We have a full-on Coop and Run, but a brooder is another story. And with temperatures on the cold-side... chicks weren't what we were after.

The man then showed us runs filled with adult chickens. Again, we didn’t want to go with adults as we weren’t sure of ages and laying capacity and they all seemed established and happy. What we really wanted were pullets.

A pullet is a female chicken that is under one year old and hasn’t started laying yet. The “hasn’t started laying yet” was important to us. So off to the Pullet House we went!

There were more than several young birds running here and there once we arrived. Supposedly they were all between two and four months old. A lot of them looked the same - a blur of whites and tans. But several stuck out to us. The breeds of each of the Girls is not really known. I think there was a lot of cross-breeding going on, as roosters and hens of different breeds were housed together. Either way, we came for four and left with five. And while these five have been briefly introduced in the previous post - with photos of each from when we got them - it seems only fair to give a better and more in-depth introduction to each of them here, with updated and more recent photos to boot!

One thing I will say before jumping in, while all of the chickens we bought seemed healthy at the time, when we got them home we found them to be underweight and full of lice and dealing with respiratory conditions. The weight issues and lice were fixable with some good food and a good delousing. The respiratory condition on the other hand was a bit more of a issue. But after an expensive visit to a reputable avian veterinarian and two weeks worth of medication, things were looking up!

Having said that, a call to the ranch to explain this all was met with less than concern. The guy who runs things - not the man I dealt with - said his chickens are vaccinated and healthy. And that he considers it all more of a hobby than a business. Yet somehow he’s on Yelp. Either way, we came home with our five Girls and they are - in my opinion - infinitely better for it.

Anyway. Enough of that. We’re here to celebrate our Flock. So, without further adieu...

Ruby

Ruby is supposedly a Bantam Rhode Island Red. This is suspect to me because her legs are not the yellow color that Rhode Island Reds usually have. They're more of a white or dusky white. But who knows. As mentioned, there were several different breeds, both male and female housed together so it’s more than possible she’s some sort of combination. So, Bantam Rhode Island red and... something.

Either way, Ruby is energetic and vocal and personable (chickenable?) and inquisitive and fast! She may be the smallest of the Flock, but that doesn’t stop her from holding her ground and letting the other Girls know that she won’t be pushed around. She likes to wedge herself under the others while they’re sunbathing.  And she likes to sit on our shoulders. Ruby is as Ruby does! And it’s pretty great!

ALSO! The older Ruby gets and the more she fills out, the more we're thinking... Ruby may be Rudy? No crowing yet, but her feathers certainly seem to be more cockerel than pullet. We'll see. Updates on the Ruby/Rudy Front to come!

Molly

When we first got Molly unbeknownst to us she was severely underweight - the most underweight of the group -  and infested with chicken lice. Not a great combination at all. It’s from Molly’s condition that we realized the ranch where we got the Girls should not have been rated as highly as it was. But after a good delousing of the entire Flock and treatment of the Coop and Run, and a good mixture of starter mash and grow crumble as food, Molly and the other girls started to put on some weight and are now where they should be weight-wise. Anyway... back to Molly.

We have absolutely no idea what breed Molly is. At first we had no idea because of her
condition. But as she started to become healthier we began to think maybe she was Araucana or Ameraucana, as she started to have the telltale cheeks. After several searches online, we are settling into full-fledged Easter Egger (more on Easter Eggers HERE, and more on the difference between Araucanas, Ameraucanas, and Easter Eggers HERE) We’ll know more once she starts laying and we get to see the color of her eggs.

The best way to describe Molly is “Lap Chicken”. When you visit the Run she’s the first one to hop into your lap and cuddle up and make herself comfy. She coos and hums. And she is definitely the sweetest of the Flock. 

Fern

We have zero idea what breed or breeds Fern can be. And when the guy who owned the ranch told us on the phone that she was a "black feathered chicken" I threw up my arms in resignation and decided we were on our own. Probably for the best, honestly.

Fern has gorgeous black feathers that when hit by sunlight have that iridescent green-blue sheen like a beetle's wings. She has a pale comb and wattle - for now, anyway. She has long slate-colored shanks. And she has blue-ish ears. Again, no idea what we’re dealing with here. But since when does that matter?! She’s awesome nonetheless!

Fern is curious and alert. And she's been Molly's partner in crime since day one. She's always right behind her to greet us at the Run door when we approach. And she loves to hop up onto laps and gives Molly a run for the cuddle bug of the lot. Plus, she’ll fall asleep in your arms if you give her the chance. Sweet, sweet Fern.

Daisy

Where to begin with Daisy. When we got her the man who helped us said she was a Barred Plymouth Rock. And she totally looks like a Barred Plymouth Rock, but again - even with the coloring - there’s a good chance she’s a mixture of breeds.

Either way, she has been sturdy and solid and sweet as can be since day one. Even so, she’s not afraid to let the other Girls know when they’re bugging her with a quick spreading of her wings and a quick lunge forward and a quick squawk of sorts. Having said that, she does a lot of cuddling with the others, too. A lot of it! Specifically with Molly and Fern. 

Daisy is curious and observant. She’s active and fun. She loves to be as high up on the roosts as possible and when she shakes it all out after a dirt bath it's a joy to see. Plus, she’s gorgeous. She was fairly small when we brought her home, but today Daisy is one of the largest of our Flock, second only to Kit.

Kit

Kit is an enigma. Unlike the others, when we got her she was much larger and looked much older than the rest. We’re guessing she was about eighteen or twenty weeks old when we bought her. And we're not sure exactly why a chicken that old or that large was in with others that were so small and young. Maybe she was being bullied by larger chickens in the next pen over? Not sure.

We were told by the guy who owns the ranch that she’s an Ameraucana at least in part, but honestly she doesn’t really have that many Ameraucana traits that we can see. Maybe some coloring, but that's it. Also, she has a crest on her head that speaks more to the Cream Legbar breed. Plus her reddish-orange eyes speak to that, too, at least from what I’ve read. (Read more about the Cream Legbar breed HERE.)

One other big thing is that she’s the first to have started laying eggs! And they are a gorgeous BLUE. We are so happy about this! As for her demeanor, she started out as incredibly shy. When we’d come into the Run, she’d head into the Coop. If we were in the Coop, she'd head to the Run. Eventually she started not run away, but just hide out in the Run's corners. But now she’s warmed up to us and, while petting her really isn't an option yet - although she's put up with it once or twice - she is fairly comfortable with us around. I call that a win!

Well. Those are our Girls!

Five wonderful additions to our family. They are all warm and personable. They’re all curious (even Kit, when she doesn't know we can see her!). They’re all loving. And I am so thankful that we were able to take them from where they were just one-of-many to a place where they are now each individuals. Each cared for, one-on-one.

We are lucky to have these Girls. And I like to think that they feel the same.

 

Welcoming the Girls Home!

It’s been a long, long time since I’ve updated this Outright Chicken blog - almost seven years - and there’s a definite reason  I’m updating it now. But before I go into that, let me give you a bit of history...

I started my Chicken Adventures in October 2011 (check out my first Outright Chicken entry HERE). My flock consisted of Bronny (a Dark Brahma), Mary and Sophia (both Ameraucana), Miss Lynn (a Red Star), Little Jo (a Black Silkie), and Arabella (a White silkie).

Our set up is a 4’x4’x6’ coop we call Coopenhagen. And we have a trapezoidal Chicken Run (Hensylvania) measuring roughly 12’x7’x6’. Shelter from the elements, safety from predators. A nice, roomy area, both inside and out. A great place to raise a small Flock.

Arabella passed away in March of 2013 (this was my last post up until now - check it out HERE). The rest of the Girls each lived much longer and productive lives, the last of whom - Miss Lynn - passing away in Autumn of 2017.

In 2018, California announced a Virulent Newcastle Disease Outbreak (read about that HERE) and any and all chickens needed to be quarantined. This also meant that there was a moratorium on selling chickens in California. And that meant that there was no new Flock for us. At least not at that time. But...

Welcome to 2020!

Not the best year on record in recent times, but as of June 1^st California's Newcastle Quarantine was lifted. New chickens were once again available to be purchased or adopted.

In the three years since Miss Lynn left us, Coopenhagen and Hensylvania started to run down. Paint faded. Hardware rusted. Ivy grew through the hardware cloth and took over a lot of the once wide open Run.

In early November of this year all of that changed.  Operation: Chicken Revival took effect. A new coat of paint for Coopenhagen. New Hardware on all the doors. A diatomaceous earthing of the Coop interior. The de-ivying of Hensylvania. A new Run door, as the last one had warped to the point of not being able close - and that just wouldn’t do. Why? Because it was time for us to re-chicken. And since a new Flock was imminent, their homestead needed to be not just in working order, but comfortable and safe.

Flash forward to November 16, 2020. Everything from fresh bedding in the Coop to new feeders and waterers to a bowlful of grit to a cabbage dangling from a chain in the Run was in place. The only thing missing was a Flock. Having said that, I'd like to introduce to you...

The Girls

Ruby

Molly

Daisy

Fern

Kit

For now we'll stick with this brief introduction. A future post will delve more into who these Girls are and hopefully answer a few question, while probably asking a few more. Stay tuned for that!

At this point, these Lovelies have made Coopenhagen and Hensylvania their own. It’s been a fun and interesting and informative time with them so far, and there will be more on all of that in upcoming posts, as well. Either way, we are thrilled to be able to raise these beauties. And we look forward to our time together and the stories that will come from it all.

Chickeny Updates coming soon!

 

Arabella

Normally my blog posts are more informational than personal.  But not today.

Today I write about one of my flock. Her name is Arabella. She’s a white silkie and was hatched October 13th, 2011.

Arabella

About sixteen months ago I started down a path. Knowing next to nothing of chicken rearing, I built a Coop, built a Run, and purchased six chicks, each two days old. And every day since has been a crash-course on everything chicken. I’ve learned so much, but I realize I know only a handful of what I truly need to know.

Arabella and Little Jo.

Yesterday, while filling my girls’ feeder and freshening their water, I treated my flock to a few handfuls of mealworms, their favorite treat. Five of the six came running. Peck-peck-pecking at the ground. And that happy sound that only Chicken Owners can understand filled the silence. But one girl was missing: Arabella, my often-broody, somewhat shy White Silkie. I peered into the small door of Coopenhagen (as my Coop has come to be known) and saw her lying in the straw.

It only took a moment to realize what the situation was. Arabella, at some point in the past twelve hours or so, had passed away. And there she was, still fluffy as ever. But gone.

Arabella and her flock
enjoying a veggie sub.

A shock went through me as I went to tell my wife. And then, once that was done, I had to think of anything and everything that might have caused Arabella’s passing.

On our several-times-weekly free-range around the yard, Arabella would stay back to herself, sometimes not even leaving the Run. But that didn’t stand out, as she was the broody one of the bunch. Then, three days ago I noticed she was roosting on the lower-most roost by herself when the hens were put to bed. And, after finding her barely-cold body in the straw, I noticed several – more than several – white silkie feathers scattered around the run.

White. Fluffy. Relaxed.

None of this really tells me anything, to be honest. She was eating and drinking. At least when the others were free-ranging. And, being broody more-than-not, she kept to herself quite a bit. As for the feathers in the run, I assumed they are from her summer molt.

Yes, there's the possibility of the others bullying her. It happens even in established flocks. And Arabella was at the bottom of the pecking order, being the smallest and most timid of the group. But she had no bruises or cuts or scrapes or any evidence of being pushed around. At least none that I could see.

So the question remains: What happened to Arabella?

Mad as a wet hen.

I will never know for sure.

What I do know is she was a sweet, funny girl who made me smile, not only because she ran in that special sort of silkie-way, or scratched for grit like only she could, or devoured mealworms in a fluffy-white blur. But because she was a truly wonderful hen. She was not only a part of my flock. She was a part of my family. Like my dog. Or my two cats. And after the sixteen or so months spent with her, she captured my heart.

We miss you already, Arabella. Rest in Peace.

Arabella

October 13th 2011 to March 29th 2013

The Chicken and the Egg

Keeping chickens, I can honestly say, is one of the most fulfilling endeavors I’ve ever undertaken. From being in awe of the first egg my flock laid to being freaked out by Bronny’s first molt. From dealing with a broody Silkie to dealing with ‘Straw-mageddon’. Each and every day is a learning experience.

Here's Miss Lynn
looking at me differently.

In addition to the everyday ‘here’s-what-you-got-yourself-into-by-deciding-to-raise-chickens’ knowledge, I’ve also been a huge advocate of diving in (to google) and trying to wrap my head around actual cold, hard facts about chickens.

Some are small facts. Chickens have more bones in their necks than giraffes, for example. Others are eye-opening. Like the chicken is the closest living relative of the t-rex. With each new piece of information, I look at chickens in a new light. And since I’m looking at chickens differently, I’m obviously looking at eggs differently.

In my latest sojourn into all things chicken (and egg), I decide a history lesson was in order. So here’s what found...

A little chicken history.

Chickens have been around since before humans, obviously. And way before historians. So, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when chickens became domesticated but there’s speculation that it happened 8000 years ago in what’s now Thailand. But recent research suggests the good old chicken may have multiple origins in different areas of South and Southeast Asia. (More on that here)

And then there were the Egyptians. And the Chinese. Both of whom domesticated chickens like crazy not only for meat but for eggs. In about 600 B.C. domestication happened in Europe. And then Columbus went out to find the new world and took along some chickens. These chickens, whose strains originated in Asia, are the ancestors of the chickens that lay eggs in North America now. (More info here)

Now, a little egg history.

We (humans) have been eating eggs since forever. Eggs have always been easy to find (unless you run out of them at 11:00pm on Christmas Eve and still have three dozen cookies to bake), they’re easy to cook, and they were (and still are) part of a lot of socio-religious symbolism and tradition. Just look at Easter.

At some point someone realized that if they take the eggs out from under a chicken, that chicken would lay another one instead of going broody (unless that chicken is my Silkie Arabella). So, eggs became a good and easy source of food. And this all happened around 3200 B.C. in India. And in China and Egypt in 1400 B.C.-ish. Maybe earlier.

Interesting. Possibly even fascinating. Or boring. Depending on where you stand on history lessons from blogs.

Anyway, with all that early chicken and egg history running through my mind, it got me thinking about a question that has been haunting civilization since the beginning of time.

So, here it is. The biggest chicken question of them all:

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Well, the argument usually goes something like this: The chicken came first! Then where did the chicken come from? The egg! But what laid the egg? The chicken! Then where did the chicken come from? The egg!

Up until a couple years ago this was it. There was no real answer. But, in July of 2010 the answer was found. At least that’s what scientists in Great Britain claimed. They say that they discovered a protein in chicken ovaries that is absolutely necessary to form a chicken egg. Without this protein the egg isn’t truly ‘chicken’. Which means, in order for there to have been a chicken egg laid at all, there had to be a chicken to lay it. No chicken. No Protein. Therefore, no egg. So. There’s your answer. The chicken came first.

And here's the link to prove it!

Very exciting. Or boring. Depending on where you stand on awesome answers to impossible questions on blogs.

***   ***

Want to know more? Click HERE for a great page (where I got a lot of my info) about eggs and the history of different variations on their cooking.

--Chicken Dup