Well, I know I've been MIA for a while. Busy, busy, busy. But I finally got a chance (and some help, photo credit to my daughter Maggie) to take pictures of the girls. So let me catch you up.
I had ordered a set of 3 chicks from Cackle Hatchery in Missouri. Unfortunately, they were shipped during one of those deep cold spells we had in February, and only 2 of them arrived alive. In fact, one was doubtful until we held her under the heat lamp and got her warmed up! But that was our start. And because they were tough little ladies to make it to us, we named them Thelma and Louise. Thelma is a Rhode Island Red, and Louise is an Easter Egger. (Please excuse the photo quality, chicks are hard to get good pics of!!)
So since only 2 chicks survived the trip from Missouri, we decided to head into town to our local Tractor Supply just to see what they might have. They had just gotten their chicks in, and there were choices to be made! First, we chose 2 barred rock chicks, because I had read that they were very friendly, and a good choice for a first time backyard flock. Then we chose a buff orpington, for the same reasons. Finally (because there was a 4 chick minimum purchase), and on a bit of a whim, we got a blue laced red wyandotte. So here they are:
This is Bertha, otherwise known very lovingly as "Big Bertha." She got that name because she was decidedly bigger than the rest when we got them. She's our Buff Orpington.
Lucy is one of our Barred Rocks. She is the sweetest and friendliest of the bunch, and she loves to sit on my shoulder.
Ethel is our other Barred Rock. She is inquisitive, and almost as big as Bertha by now. How can we tell them apart, you ask? Ethel has a larger black patch on her beak.
And last, but certainly not least, is Princess Laya. She is our Blue Laced Red Wyandotte. Laya was named by my dual credit class at Lewisville High School. Laya is a little bit skittish, with good reason. She was almost the victim of a "cat"astrophe! I had opened up the brooder box to give the girls a little snack, and Laya decided to stretch her wings a bit, and ended up outside the box. Our cat, Gus, took advantage of the situation and snatched her up and took off! I chased him through the house until he let go of her. Fortunately, she only had scratches, and healed right up. But she may have a little bit of PTSD when it comes to cats.
We completed construction of the chicken coop in the shop, and since the weather has finally gotten better (and the girls have gotten bigger!), we've moved them into the coop which is still in the shop. They have a heating plate and a heater underneath the coop to keep them warm, but I've started letting them out into the run during the day. Which drives the cats crazy. But the girls seem to have figured out that they are safe, and I swear they are even teasing the cats sometimes! As you can see from the pics, the girls are starting to get their feathers in, and we should be able to move the coop outside in a couple of weeks. We already have the foundation set, and I've planted chicken forage both inside and around the coop. Can't wait!!!
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