One day in October 2014, my circle of relatives’s liked cat kicked the bucket. We spent just about two years mourning the loss earlier than we came upon a brand new puppy: chickens! We researched their care and provides they wanted earlier than development a coop from scratch in our yard. It took us a month to finish, after which we followed two full-grown hens: Janet and Henny Penny. We had no concept that chickens can be so superb and a laugh. Each hens introduced such a lot pleasure to our lives for a few years.
Henny Penny ended up outliving Janet, and we purchased 3 extra chicks: Sweetie (a Black Australorp), Zippy (a Silver Laced Wyandotte) and Cocoa (an Ameraucana). They grew as much as be neatly behaved with the exception of for Cocoa. She chased everybody! We gave her away to a loving house the place she spent the remainder of her loving days. Henny Penny had a very good lifestyles and kicked the bucket from previous age. We’re very thankful she accompanied us for this sort of very long time. At the moment, we have been down to 2 chickens that have been (and nonetheless are) inseparable.
Out of This Global
After Henny Penny handed, we were given two chicks at the similar day that Perseverance, NASA’s Mars rover, landed at the crimson planet. In honor of that historical tournament, we named the New Hampshire Pink, Perseverance (Percy), and the Ameraucana, Luna.
A 12 months later and our flock was once getting alongside nice. Then again, I sought after to lift chicks by myself that different chicken-lovers may “undertake,” so I bought 4 chicks and all their provides with my very own cash. I picked a Rhode Island Pink (Ginger), a Buff Orpington (Buffy), a Golden Laced Wyandotte (Dotty) and an Ameraucana (Lou).
I believed I used to be elevating 4 women till knowing that Lou was once a boy! I wouldn’t have minded an excessive amount of if we lived within the nation. However we are living within the town, so Lou needed to cross to his followed circle of relatives faster. He now lives on a large farm.
With one chicken out of the way in which, there got here every other, Buffy. I had the most powerful bond with Buffy from the beginning. Buffy would do a chicken dance each time he noticed me. A chicken dance (aka tidbitting) is a dance roosters do to turn affection to their house owners or hens. One time he even dug up an earthworm and gave it to me.
I attempted the entirety to stay him, even hanging a chicken collar on him. Nevertheless it didn’t paintings. A pair weeks went via, and it was once time to mention good-bye to Buffy. He lately lives at the similar farm as Lou.
Dotty abruptly regarded very in poor health. She was once the oldest out of the 4 however extraordinarily tiny for her breed. By no means in six years have I ever observed a typical white meat her age that was once so small. Her face was once white, no longer the standard pinkish crimson, and he or she didn’t have a comb. Dotty kicked the bucket naturally in our fingers. Our good friend even attempted to do CPR on her, nevertheless it didn’t paintings. We presume that she was once born with an sickness that made it tricky for her to develop.
Bitter Stories
Whilst chicken-keeping is a laugh and thrilling, you additionally should care for in poor health or injured chickens. Let’s face it: This is tricky. Numerous other people would simply take the chook to the vet, however numerous the time you continue to finally end up with a useless chook.
We had that downside when our New Hampshire Pink, Percy, were given in poor health with bitter crop. Bitter crop is horrible to regard, and the scent is terrible! We needed to power her to throw up no matter was once troubling her abdomen, rapid for an afternoon and no water for 12 hours. We additionally remoted her for a pair days so lets control her.
When she was once ready to devour once more, we gave her fermented (soaked) feed and let her get well. Don’t fear. She’s nonetheless alive and completely neatly!
Chickens are a laugh animals to have and are repeatedly having a look to discover. Buff Orpingtons are my favourite breed as a result of Buffy and Henny Penny. For people who find themselves simply coming into the passion, I like to recommend Australorps, Rhode Island Reds and Orpingtons. They’re hardy and docile breeds which might be nice first of all. Additionally, if all is going unsuitable and you’ll be able to’t get the breed you wish to have, you’ll be able to’t cross unsuitable with Orpingtons.
Stella M. (age 11) lives in California.
This text at the beginning gave the impression within the Nov./Dec. 2023 factor of Chickens mag. Have a super tale about your flock? E mail the tale of your birds in ~750 phrases to [email protected] (matter line: Hen Chat). Make sure you come with high-resolution photographs of your self, your chickens and/or your coop. The creator of each and every factor’s printed essay receives a prize from one in every of our advert companions. (See print mag for regulations. Sponsor: EG Media Investments LLC)