Assorted Chicken Update!

Where does the time go!? When I sat down to write this post, I realized that it's been a couple of days since my latest post! Sheesh! I guess I need to pay more attention to time, and not let it get away from me like I have! I thought I'd give a HAPPY update on some of the farm animals, so this evening I picked up my camera and headed out to the barn to see what the chickens were up to.

This is Little Buddy, one of the Red Frizzle chickens we ordered as day-old chicks from Ideal Poultry. Isn't it just a crack-up how his feathers curl forwards!! And they're just as soft as can be, too! One thing we've noticed is that if the air is really damp (like during/after rain) or on high humidity mornings, their feathers actually straighten out a bit and aren't as curled. Wild!!

This little fella is as funny and cute as they come! He *loves* me! When I walk out to the chicken yard, I just have to say "Hey Little Buddy" and he comes running over to me, cooing little chicken noises. He loves to be held. I have a little crate I sit on while I'm out visiting with the chickens, and he'll sit on my leg, or let me hold him the entire time I'm out there.

As odd as this might sound, he even likes to snuggle. For anyone who has owned chickens and has ever had a chicken that just loved to be held, you'll know what I mean. We've got several chickens on the farm that really like to be held. Little Buddy is one, and Fancy Manetta is another. I don't know what it is about them, but they certainly respond more to people than the other chickens do.

This is Ginger, another one of the Red Frizzle chicks we ordered as day-old chicks from Ideal Poultry. Of the 6 Frizzle chicks that we bought, Ginger is the only one of them that didn't get the flipped/frizzled feathers. But she's just as soft, and her feathers are very translucent! If you look at the feathers on the lower part of her neck, you can see how you can see through them to the feathers below. She's a sweet little hen. If you're curious about the size of Ginger and Little Buddy, I'd say they're about the size of a small cantaloupe...or large grapefruit. But no where NEAR as heavy!

This is one of the Guinea hens we received in June. She's still very young, and just starting to lose the feathers on her head and neck. Guinea chicks are actually quite cute .... but, as you can see, they kind of lose their "cuteness" as they mature. This chick is almost 2 months old. A face only a mother could love....

This is a Golden Polish Bantam hen who's about 3 months old. The feathers of her headdress are long and fluffy. Polish Bantams have very large eyes for chickens, but because their head feathers are so long, they don't have very good vision. For this reason they're very easy to catch, but they're also easily spooked.

We have six Polish Bantams. Two are this gold and black color, two are white and gold, and two are solid black (actually called Crevecoeurs). You can see one of the Buff Polish Bantam chicks on one of my chicken updates from May.

The chicks are all too young for egg laying, but in a few months the hens will start laying. Until then, we rely on the older hens around the farm to provide our eggs. Nothing beats a farm fresh egg!

More updates later!

Comments

[Pia Stopar]

Your photography is beautiful. I am so jealous of the chickens. I have always wanted to raise chickens for fresh eggs. Living in the burbs and having a 10 year old daughter that is afraid of anything with feathers makes this dream impossible. Thanks for the pictures. I relly enjoyed them.

[QC]

Who would care if they laid eggs? They're just adorable - all of them! The frizzles are cute, but that bantam - I *heart* those afros! :)

[cindy]

Enjoyed spending some time with ya last Sunday...it was a blast. Will have to do it again! And Little Buddy....awwwwwwwwwww. So cute! Love those feathers. Now I have a chicken crush! LOL. Will have to really see about getting some.

c

[nise]

That Golden Polish Bantam is YOU! If you were a chicken, that is! Very cool birds. How come rooster stamps are always so ordinary when there are such extraordinary birds out there? HINT! I feel red frizzled now and then myself. Happy Weekend!

[Kerry D-C]

Wow, these are fab photos Anna! Funny, if you combined the curls from the 1st chick, with the fluffiness of the last chick, It would be like a portrait of me! ummmm, actually It would have be after the chicken had been well fed and ready to be made into a nice plump chicken dinner! LOL!

[Shala]

lovely photos, as always. :) i'm reading the posts backwards today, so just saw the video. i gotta say, i love baby birds! when they are featherless, they are sooooo cute! and that pic of the Polish hen, the first one, is the best chicken picture EVER! she looks just like Liz Taylor, don't you think??????

[Sally]

What beautiful birds and even more amazing photographs!

[Kittie]

Anna, I love all the chicken photos.

[JanScholl]

My son and his new bride are trying to raise chickens out in the boonies in Iowa-this is a guy who let his hamsters die. anyways, how different do the eggs taste from each type of chicken? I don't eat a lot of eggs but being a vegetarian, I need a little protein and occasionally buy an egg or two from the locals that are unfertilized. they are usually brown and organically veggie fed-but I have no idea what the chickens look like. is there a difference in taste or looks?

[Lisa H]

I am totally amazed and awestruck by the variety of chickens. Who knew? Not me, that's for sure. You have selected some of the most beautiful creatures I've seen. Please post more!

[Q]

Thanks for the updates on your chicks. I love seeing them - the bantam reminds me of the fall with her colors and the shape of her head resembles mums.

[Danielle]

Those chickens are beautiful! I love the way you capture their personalities with your camera-wonderful photography!

[Sonya]

L-O-V-E your chicken updates. Your photography is beautiful as always.

Sonya

[Tiya-b]

I love all the farm updates and especially the photos.
Theres something about an Anna picture, the chickens are so beautiful and I don't remember chickes as being that way.

[Monica Löfstedt]

the polish one made me laugh. :)
It had a nice "hair do"

[Meredith]

I love reading all your updates from the farm. These chickens are as cute as can be :) I enjoy learning about all the different types of chickens you have. I do have to admit that the cow updates are still, by far, my favorite updates but I do love hearing about everyone else on the farm too. What can I say, I'm just a cow lover ;)

I was so sad to hear of the news about precious little C-Biscuit :( Thank you so much for sharing your farm life with us in both the good times and bad!!! ((((HUGS))))

[Troy Louise]

Anna: Thanks for the fun pics & the interesting facts about the different types. Never cuddled a chicken before, but it sounds very nice.

[Gabriela Divine]

My bags are packed, get your guest room ready, cuz I'm moving in!

[Tracye]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for the update. The chickens are just beautiful. I love the one with the wild headdress. Too funny.... like a little chicken diva. LOL
Thanks so much for sharing the photos. PS..sorry to hear about the death of C-biscuit. He was such a precious soul.

[Molly B]

OK that Polish Bantam is hilarious and beautiful all at the same time. Looks like something from a Vegas show! -Molly B

[Cindy H.]

Thanks for the update. They're really growing into their own. They are all cool looking chicks, lol. I love the Golden Polish Bantam hen. When I look at her, this song comes to mind - "In your Easter Bonnet with all the thrills (or is it frills?) upon it, ...." Sorry if this song sticks in your mind all day now :)

[Viv (VivLyn)]

Oh Anna, they are so beautiful and unique! I have never had a chicken that liked to be held, let alone snuggled. We had chickens when I was young...maybe they were afraid of me. Ours were just the run-of-the-mill white variety but gathering eggs was so much fun. I love the headdress of the bantam. She could be a dancer in Vegas!! Thanks for sharing the pictures. I've been wondering how they were doing!!

[Kelley Holland]

That Bantam hen is too much!! lol! He reminds me of Rod Stewart!!!

[Barb Hardeman]

Oh Anna, your report on your lovely hens is just like a breath of fresh air. Aren't they beautiful. I love your Red Frizzles. They ar gorgeous and really so small. I haven't been around chickens much so I didn't realize that they could even become affectionate with humans. That is so awesome. I raised a wild bird once so that it could resume it's life away from humans and that was very satisfying. Oh, how I would love to spend a day on your farm and just gather up all your critters and love on them. Thanks for the delightful update!

[Lisa]

I just love that Golden Polish Bantam!! He so extravagent looking - almost fake! Thanks for the updates - I love it! And I'm so sorry to hear about C-Biscuit. :(

[Michelle Oatman]

How cute are they all! And how fun that they respond to you so much. I so want chickens.... but at the moment we have to much on the list to build a safe and coyote proof pen. Hopefully next year!

Thanks for the wonderful photographs!
HUGS
MichelleO

[Bobbie]

Oooohhh I love the snugglers... I'd love to snuggle with them lol.

I think you need to give those gals a trim Anna, I mean seriously, would YOU want to go thru life with nice, big eyes and no one able to see them? Not only that but having so much hair that YOU wouldn't be able to see where you are going? How sad! lol.

How about 'transplanting' some of that hair to the guinea? I'm sure she'd appreciate it. Even if you just made a wig she could wear on the cooler days! hehehe

Sorry, I dont' get out much!

Bobbie :)

[Kellie]

LOVE those chicken updates...they are so very cool! Especially the black/yellow ones w/the great "up-do's" they are wild looking! Still hoping I can get some one of these days! thanks for sharing...

[mj]

ahh ... they are sooo cute! we love Ideal Poultry. anytime we've gotten chicks from them they seem to be the best! awesome photos!

[Dotty]

Your photography is just so phenomenal! I love how they look! Little Buddy is so adorable, and Ginger's coloring is so pretty. As for the first picture of the Golden Polish Bantam, I thought Oh my gosh, it looks like Tina Turner's hair! The color and pattern of her feathers is so unique. Thank you for the updates, I love learning about the fur & feather children on the farm! :)

[Laurie in MN]

Chickens are pretty. I have always loved chickens. When I was a toddler, the chickens on my grandparents farm would always come to me to be held. For some unknown reason, my older sister's ankles would get pecked by the same loving chickens I enjoyed holding. LOL

Chickens also gather around my son when we visit hobby farms. One time, I needed the farmers help to keep a tom turkey from jumping into my van. The bird tried following our van out of the parking lot.

[Desiree]

They are just so cute!! Hehehe and that with all the feather on the head! Adorable!

[caz]

Ohh cute funky chickens! LOL I love yo hear all about all the animals so thanks for updating with chicken news.

[diane mcvey]

OMGOSH, they are all beautiful! I am so jealous! :P The photos are great, and I'm wishing I had some chickens! I get excited over my wild turkeys that come to feed in the yard...I've got 2 Mommas and 15 little ones; but I certainly can't hold them! LOL
Thanks for the wonderful update on the poultry! They are awesome! :D