If you follow the egg count in the side bar, you will have noticed that the girls have almost stopped laying. The coop and the back yard are charmingly decorated with feathers. Brewster's tail is a miserable shadow of its former self. Autumn is moulting time. Once they are refeathered they will get back to work...I hope.
But that isn't what you want to know...you want to hear about the new chooks we purchased at the Expo on the weekend.
The first three I would like to introduce are Australorp bantams...maybe. On the tag it said, Ostrolorp but I can't find any references to that breed on the Web. It may have been a spelling mistake. It also said that they lay greenish eggs...which would make them Ameraucanas.
Truth is I am not sure what I have now. But they are pretty.
The colours are about right in this photo as they all have a lavender tint.
This one's name is Lavender...a bit of a no brainer, really.
The rooster (I know, I know) is called Indigo. I will be housing these three separate to Brewster and the Girls and I want to have a go at breeding them.
The second hen, the one in the middle of the photo, just had to be Violet, didn't she?
But that's not all!
A couple of Silkies too.
Silkies are very prone to going broody. I plan for these two to be our little mothers and incubate and raise the next generation. I will put fertile eggs under them once they sit.
Both The Cook and I have mothers called, Edna. How could we resist calling these two, destined for motherhood, Edna.
Yes, two Ednas.
This first one is Edna May but we have started calling her Eemie. She will be all black and have a wonderful hairdo...just like her namesake. Those little white bits on her neck are just the sheath around her feathers growing in. She won't feel truly herself until her hair is perfect.
The Ednas are quite young, so we are keeping them inside for a while.
We want to handle them a lot
and make them much tamer than their namesakes.
They are all so cute and you are so brave naming the silkies after your mothers... but then they are beautiful ladies so who would mind?
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeous feathery additions to your flock, Hazel! We are in the same boat with reduced egg production, I guess we just sit and wait.
ReplyDeleteOh!The Darlings I've gone quite broody.I do miss Silkies.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful chickens! Hope you get lots of wonderful eggs.
ReplyDeleteOk, keep in mind this is coming from someone who bred a lot of chickens. You have some mixed birds in the first photo. I have been wrong before but I am going to say that your two blues (and they are blue but mixed because the older roosters has a lot of red starting to show through) look like they are both roosters to me. One older than the other. I see sickle feathers on the younger one. I also wouldn't doubt that there is some true araucana mixed in, that would account for them being almost without tails and laying green eggs. Then hen is not a lavendar as the shafts of the feathers are dark(I can see them in the pictures) therefore making your hen a blue in color.
ReplyDeleteNo telling if your Edna's are actually Edna's until they are a whole lot older and though I have had silkies before I was never good at sexing them.
All in all, you have some lovely chickens and I would be happy to have them.
Thanks Becky...I think. I am a novice at this and now I feel a bit silly as well. I am grateful for your advice and opinion. I think I will have to do much more research and buy from breeders in future. Maybe even join a club. i hate being duped...and I feel like I have been. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteLooks like you can look forward to "Green Eggs and Ham"
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your fowl post!
awwwwww gorgeous! happy happy welcome to your new chooks! I agree and think they are mixes too but beautiful! Have a look at my Astrid, she is a true bantam astralorp but doesn't look quite the same as your 'ostralorp' LOL ! Yes moulting is upon us but I often think it is because the silly chooks will go and stand out in the middle of the lawn in a gale...do they like the 'windswept' look I wonder and are just styling it up? :D
ReplyDeleteThose little silkie's are just so dang cute!!
ReplyDeleteThey look lovely! Hope you've got girl silkies.
ReplyDeletelovely to meet your chicks
ReplyDeleteWhatever the trio are they are gorgeous, I love their colours!
ReplyDeleteThey are beautiful. I love the name Edna (X2) for your girls. Love the chicken wire bike on the header too!!
ReplyDeleteStaci
It's funny! They all look as if they like having their picture taken!
ReplyDeleteSo, the chicken accommodation arrangements Chez Hazel are getting progressively more complicated...
ReplyDeleteI'm not a chicken person myself, but I can see the attraction.
Lovely new chooks you've got there Hazel, but two Ednas are cute!!! :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great festival, Your ednas are very cute, I so must get around to naming my chooks one day....it gives them so much more personality...
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the bike sculpture...It's amazing what people can create! Don't fancy a ride on it though...:)