I am the happy owner of three very pretty chickens. The previous owners of my little house were wildlife rehabilitators and had a pen in the yard that is perfect for a chicken coop. My friends Dave and Katie have a flock of forty layers and a good number of younger birds. They were kind enough to give me my hens.I had considered getting chicks, but it takes six months before a chick becomes productive. Besides that, they take a lot of care to bring them to maturity. I wasn't sure I was up to the task, so I opted for full-grown layers. Here they are:
The white one is named Hester Prynne. The red one is Jezabel. The black one is Lucrezia Borgia.
It has been a little bit of a rocky two weeks since I got them. I have had one egg with no shell, just the membrane. I have had a few eggs which were eaten by the chickens before I got to them. I think things in the coop are settling in because I am starting to get some cackleberries I can actually use.
Lucrezia Borgia is my favorite. She is black with beautiful irridescent plumage. I imagine that the original Lucrezia wore irridescent gowns when she got gussied up. I am pretty sure she is the most productive of the trio. She trots right over to me when i approach the coop and lets me pet her.