I finally fulfilled my dream of owning chickens! We purchased a coop and a flock of 9 adult laying hens from a lady down in the southern part of the state (about 400 miles from here). One of my good friends and her husband picked them up and took care of them for six days until they could transport them to my home this last Saturday. A friend/neighbor graciously gifted me a rooster, who I was able to integrate into the flock pretty easily (knock on wood). I AM SO EXCITED! I already have a dozen eggs! They lay white, peach, beige, tan, speckled, and chocolate colored eggs. It's a great assortment. Someday, I hope to add an Ameraucana or Easter Egger into the flock so I can have blue eggs, too.

LOOK AT MY CHICKENS

All of the hens came pre-named, but we at least got to name our roo. :)

Silver Laced Wyandotte - Fancy Gold Laced Wyandotte - Goldie Rainbow - Dottie Icelandic - Bluebell White Leghorn - Snow White Cuckoo Maran - Waffles French Black Copper Maran - Mammie Swedish Flower - Penny and Daisy Dorking (rooster) - Heihei Bob

Do you own chickens? What sort do you have? Show me your cluckers!

THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL AND FABULOUS (ouo)b!!! I love chickens. I used to take care of a big group a few years ago. I could hug them and pet them for hours. Congratulation!

So I don't own any chickens (nor have I ever) but they're so beautiful! I never realized how attractive chickens could be, like really just look at them.

Hope you don't mind me asking why have you wanted to own chickens? Did your family have chickens growing up or do you just like them or?? I'm legitimately just curious lol.

Oh my gosh, I have never hugged a chicken, but I think I am going to add that to my bucket list. These girls are all pretty laid-back and friendly, so maybe they'll tolerate it once they come to trust me a little more.

For me, it's about taking another step towards self-sufficiency, and avoiding the support of factory farming practices. It's a small step, but a step nonetheless! Plus, chickens are fun and beautiful. And I think that growing up around them and helping to take care of them will be beneficial to my kiddo! Aaaaaaaaand you can get such a beautiful variety of eggs! Google French Black Copper Maran eggs. :x Mammie's eggs aren't as dark as FBCM eggs can get, but they're still lovely. Oh, and if you have a rooster, the cock jokes are endless.

[edit] Ooops. Yeah, no family history of chicken-keeping. I guess my mom helped her aunt with her chickens when she was young, but this is my first time being exposed to poultry beyond stopping by the Cluck Hut at the fair every year.

A few, whom keep the egg supply going. I don't have any shots of them... A few choice ladies have names. I am unable to specify breed, but they are 4/3, Quetitita, Iridion Prime (rooster).

And yes that joke about chicks applies to me.

I'd love to see pics if you get time to take a few!

I got a good one of my rooster today!

They are so cute! I especially love the black and white one, she has a very interesting coloring. I never owned chicken (small apartment in the middle of a town, haha) but I'm sure I'd enjoy it, too - have fun with your pretty birds!

Those are some good points! I don't personally know anyone who owns chickens or really talks about them, so I was curious as to why chickens c: I enjoyed seeing them at the petting zoo when I was younger so I'm sure your your kiddo will love it!

Also I agree about hugging chickens. Strive to be this kid. I've seen the video a lot recently ahaha.

That's a silver laced wyandotte! They're beautiful, and she seems to be a fairly reliable egger. The gold laced wyandotte, though -- I'm pretty sure she's freeloading.

So, according to your list, her name is Fancy? Absolutely perfect for her! Give her a few extra corns from me and tell her she's amazing, okay? (;

Is the golden laced one your only freeloader, or are there others just lazing around, too? But you'd keep her even if she'd never lay eggs, am I right? I'm asking because I used to have a classmate whose parents kept chicken in their garden and whenever they spotted a freeloader they slaughtered the poor little thing immediately even though they "only kept the chicken for the fun of it and a few extra eggs" as they said. shakes head

Yep, that's her! I'm still not entirely sure who's laying and who might not be. They've been under a lot of stress, so that can have a big effect -- they've moved twice, currently live in a totally different climate, they spent 8 days locked in their coop, and had a rooster foisted on them -- so I'll give them plenty of time to settle in and get adjusted. But since it is a small coop and my resources are limited, I can't really afford to keep any as pets. If one of them ends up being a good broody hen, I'd be happy to hold onto her (it helps to have a good broody to hatch the other hens' eggs). But I'm not making any snap judgments just yet! :)

Then I hope they are going to adjust and settle in soon! (:

I have such a weak spot for animals, it's ridiculous. I think if I would decide to start a farm or sth like that I'd have an animal sanctuary and a huge pile of debts instead. I mean, I cannot even kill a mosquito without feeling a little bad afterwards...sad but true.

That's me, too, to be honest. This is a pretty big departure from what my usual route is with animals and living things. I even trap and release most bugs from the house (though living in rural Alaska, mosquitoes just plain have to die). I've been involved in dog rescue. I have a bunch of pets (minus one this month). But this is primarily intended as a food investment, so I'm hoping I don't get too attached to be objective about it.

I'm already getting pretty attached to Penny and Heihei Bob, though.

Dog rescue sounds awesome! Since my room and time are limited I sadly cannot have a dog but years ago I rescued a rabbit that otherwise would have been killed. My cute Balou then lived a very happy and long life until she died of a heart condition.

So sad when it happens. A cat and her kittens we rescued were killed last night be some stray dogs.

One thing thats true here, if we have too many roosters. Its soup that weekend.

I'll try to have some shots on before today is over.

I'm sorry to hear about Balou! Losing a pet is always hard. I am a mess over losing my poor dog.

I look forward to seeing the pics!

This is [i]Quetitita]/i].

Iridion Prime

and 4/3 in center.

They stand out, plus they're among the oldest.

They are lovely! 4/3 looks to me like a silver laced wyandotte, though I'm certainly no expert. How many chickens do you have in all?

They're so pretty!! I used to farm-sit for a couple and they had a flock. Their rooster was a mean SOB though, lol. I drove this four-wheel open cart around the farm and the little bastard would chase it and try to attack. Their dog was afraid of him.

, Nor am I. I know that Quetitita is known around here as a fighting hen. Her spurs are just sprouting.

We started with 150 chicks and remnants of a previous flock. There are about 40-50. And four fledgling geese.