Henny Penny and Future Friends

This is my new hen, named Dame Henny Penny of Halifax Hen Manor. It's a long name, so I'll call her Henny Penny for short. She is a partridge rock. 23 weeks old. She's my first ever chicken, and she lives in a green Eglu. (www.omlet.us)

I am hoping to get her 2 companion bantam chickens in the next week or so. I have to see what I can find at the Iowa State Fair. In the meantime, Henny Penny is learning about her new enclosure. She spent a peaceful first night and this morning was excited to find the food dish.
Claire

She has very pretty colours in her feathers. That's one reason I chose her. She also has a good, healthy look about her, and was not too anxious when I picked her up. Here she is on her roosting bars.

I'm looking forward to my first egg someday in the near future! Hooray!

How beautiful she is!

Thanks Catscan! I was really taken by the beautiful tones in her feathers. She has lovely neck feathers that just glow in the sunshine. I just wanted to stay home today and watch her explore, but alas, I had to go to work. I can't wait to get home and have some more quality chicken time!
Claire

Claire she is very beautiful! I think that pattern is called lacy.

MollyD

Well what a ladylike pattern! Lacy!

Supposedly they are good for cold hardiness, which will be important here in Iowa. I will be getting some supplemental heat for the Eglu, but it's good that she's a hardy one.

Claire

CMoxon--one word of warning. I hope you don't need it. I have chicks and pullets from 5 to 23 weeks and they all seem to get along fine--although they do stay in their own hatching groups for the most part.

But just yesterday and again today my 2 month old Jersey Giant/Black Australorps attacked the tiny Nankins when they got out of their chicken tractor. The older 23 week pullets are quick to put the 2 month olds in their place in terms of treat access--but there has been no bullying up to this point. The attacks on the Nankins have looked pretty vicious--as if the younger ones don't recognize them as fellow chickens. There is a huge size disparity and the JG/BAs are just reaching that cocky stage, but.....

When you get your bantams, maybe go for ones that are not too small and watch the first interactions. My little Silkie gets along fine with the 2 month olds--it seems that the Nankins which are about the size of a Mockingbird (and smaller) are somehow more provocative to them.

Excellent piece of advice Catscan. I certainly don't want to have unpleasantness with my flock, small as it may be. I know they have to sort out their "pecking order" but I don't want the bullying type of attacks once that has been established. My work friend, from whom I purchased Henny Penny, has said that if I have any trouble at all with her, I can always switch her out for another bird. I hope it won't come to that. I will look for bantams that are a little more robust and generously sized, in order to (hopefully) minimize the chances of this problem. I don't want to get chicks, because I'm not set up for that, so any bantam I get from the fair will have to be at least the age of the partridge rock.

Maybe your 2 month olds see the Nankins as the equivalent of house sparrows - stealing all the seeds and causing a ruckus. LOL!

Claire

Henny is beautiful! congrats claire!

Thanks AnjL - I love her so much!

I think I've got an addiction - either I'm:
a) Crazy
b) Addicted to my chicken
c) A chicken in another life
d) Always meant to have chickens and never knew it.

I just spent 45 minutes stretched out in the Eglu run with Henny Penny. We talked about all sorts of things, solved world problems, ate some bread soaked in water (well, she ate it, I fed it to her) and had a grand ol' time. I encouraged her to sit on my lap, which she did, a number of times, with some gentle nudging. She never sat on anyone's lap before - she was just a farmyard chicken. I stroked her feathers and told her all the special things about her, and generally tried to love her to bits. I crawled out, covered in bits of straw, grass, and weeds, but happy as a clam!

Here's a picture of us earlier when I had her out of the Eglu for a bit.
I could just hug her to bits!
Claire

OMG!!! She laid an egg! Sometime between 7 pm and 9 pm, central standard time!

I am in awe of my chicken. She's so clever!!

It had a bit of a squish-able shell. She is young, so she doesn't have hard eggshells yet. I will give her more oyster shell grit.

I ate it for supper with some smoked gouda on it. Awesome!

Exactly, CMoxon! You are a chicken slave now! Isn't it amazing the way they like to talk with you? And they make such engaging, sympathetic sounds.

Mine have laid very thin/shelless eggs occasionally too. They are young like Henny Penny--but I think it can happen to older hens at times without indicating they have a calcium deficiency. Not that you shouldn't supplement! I've been grinding up clean eggshells and putting that out for them--sort of the ultimate calcium recycling.

You are going to have such fun!

I will do that too, Catscan - the thing with grinding up the eggshells. As you say, the ultimate in recycling. I didn't recycle the shell from tonight because it was so soft. Probably not a whole lot of calcium in there?

I am a complete chicken slave. She really does respond to voice. I talk to her, she looks at me, and then she clucks for a bit. Then she's quiet, and I talk again, and she clucks. I mean, it's uncanny on the timing if she's not responding and just clucking randomly. I really think she responds. She's probably saying (in chicken-language) "What is up with this crazy lady coming into my chicken enclosure? Why does she keep talking to me? What have I gotten myself into now?"

Ah well, I am just so pleased.
Claire

WaHoo! Your first hen AND your first egg. It's official now, you are addicted. Sure you will see that yourself, soon enough!

Well come to the 'club', Claire! She IS talking to you, and listening.

btw, my older hens still lay a shelless egg on occasion, a few years older. The oyster shell or ground eggshells will help.

awwww, its official! Chicken Love!!

OHHHHHHHHHH that is just awesome. Yep Chicken Slave you are. Yes they will listen to you. Mine when it is time to be put up, I tell them its night night time and alot will go into the pen and then I yawn and they flood into the pen. Once in there I feed them. Mine follow me everywhere, can be a pain sometimes. I have to take baby steps as to not step on them.

That is just awesome!!! I am so jealous... I want an egg ;-( I talk to my chickens.. lol

what a wonderful payoff though... henny penny is one lucky girl.
Enjoy her claire.

Claire, you've done what I've been threatening to do for about a year now. I'm going to get that chicken tractor built if it kills me. I'm SO jealous! Henny is a lucky chicken!

Well Fran, Henny Penny is just about 23 weeks old, and this is probably one of her first eggs because the shell is still soft, and it's not quite the normal size yet. How old are yours again? I am sure they will start laying soon!

I went out this morning and took her some bread crusts - she was pretty happy to see me. I think she is starting to adjust to me.

Brigidlily - you MUST build it! I cannot tell you how awesome it is to have a chicken. And such fun to have an egg. I think chicken ownership is a stress reliever. :-)

Claire

Claire, someone here said, I dont remember who, but they were feeding their chickens bread and they stopped laying eggs. When they stopped feed bread they started laying again. I dont know if that is true or what. Maybe that person will reply here. Or someone else that does feed bread can say different.

You have a beauty and I am jealous. You did good.

Uh-oh! I don't want her to stop laying! She's just getting started! Well, I'll switch to giving her something else for a bit, just to make sure. Thanks for that tip!

I could be wrong, just remember someone posting it. I dont know myself.

The partridge color is nice. I've had several various breeds over the years including a Rock. My partridge Cochin is named Patty.

Kelly

Claire, mine should start soon, yes, they are still a little young.. just under 4 months.. born april 7th
Doesn't stop me from being jealous.. lol

You should make her a few noodles.. they are so much fun.. they fling them and the noodle will stick to their head.. too bad they don't have tongues.. they try so hard to get that noodle off their eye.. lmbo!!! sorry sounds mean,, but I never laughed so hard as the noodles laughs.

LOL Fran....with that great story, I am hooked. I definitely will make noodles for my Henny Penny. Camera handy!!

Kelly - the partridge cochin sounds nice. I'd like to get a couple of bantams. It'd be nice to have one that matched her feathers!

Claire

Oh goodness gracious. I just found out that someone at work in a different department is moving to Colorado. He has a flock of about 20 light brahmas, black australorps, barred rocks, and some mixed. He also has some 5 week old chicks. He was going to kill them all because he can't take them with him. I think I just agreed to take them off his hands. I can't bear the thought....

What have I done?!?!

As it so happens, he also has 6 nubian does, a cream separator, a milk pasteurizer, and a cheese press. He was going to kill the goats and sell the items. I am now trying to consider whether I could be a goat owner.

What am I doing???

HELP!!!

OMG... I see a trip to IA....

When life gives you lemons-- errr livestock.....:0)


And you can "re-home" them if it gets too much--it will buy them time.

This message was edited Aug 1, 2008 5:28 PM

AWWWWWWWWWW Claire, that is wonderful. Told ya you are a chicken slave. You will have fun with them, now is the time for you DH to get that coop built.

I'm with Cats. You're buying them some time. Maybe at the temporary expense of your sanity but....;)

Be careful CMoxon! Too much too soon can turn from fun to a job.

MollyD

this is just too coincidental to dismiss....Dame Henny sent out the word that she's found the *right place*....


I'm tempted to make a road trip too.....

Catherine

CMoxon congrats on the chick and egg! It's awesome when you get your first egg : ) Don't worry, I hang out and talk to my chickens all the time. It's funny how different I talk to the chickens compared to the ducks. With the chickens, I talk calm and soft. With the ducks I'm loud and animated. They looooove it! Oh, don't forget to give your chicken pasta and corn, my chicken's favorites! Mine also enjoy tomatoes and apples : )

I see chickenitis setting in......lol.
Claire, if it gets too much, you can find an auction in your area to take them too. Check your local feed store, they would probably let you put up a sign & / or know where an auction would be held. State AG dept should be able to help too.
But, if you get 'hooked' on them, I don't see any auctions or signs in the future....

Gotta LOVE these critters!
Cheryl

I'm going to hopefully go and see them this weekend. I'll see what they're like and probably take them to buy them some time, like you said. I will post pictures in case anyone is interested in any of them. Illinois is not that far! Kelly is often out near Davenport, IA, on the border. He might be able to meet up with someone there, if there are chickens of interest!!

I could probably also put some of them on my company "classified ads" that we have on our website. Might be someone else interested in a few around here too.

Chickenitis...it's contagious!

If Kelly is in Davenport I could take some...the ones you're not interested in or he can't find homes for...hate to see them killed. Urbandale is 200+ miles from me and with gas and the hot weather I'm not sure I could get all the way out there.

I do recall that folks on the Farm Forum have *rescued* goats that others couldn't keep or care for...might be another option for Kelly.

Catherine (who's almost done mucking the barn this morning....)

I agree with the 'chickenitis' lol! i'm sitting here wondering how I can smuggle more chickens into my yard without my neighbor knowing! lolol!
maybe I can get my other neighbors interested?! tee hee!
I'm limited to two chickens...have four now...and am already thinking of more! I'm in trouble! lol! but I would hate to see a chicken culled because someone has to move :o(
this is the same reason I never go visit the animal shelter here in town! lol! I'd bring all those kitties and doggies home with me!