Gold & Silver Wyandotte Chick's ~ Just Hatched In our current flock, we have two Wyandottes – one Silver and one Gold. As chicks, they were pretty tough to tell apart. Now that they mature, the difference is as obvious as day and night. Yet despite their polarizing appearances, the two girls are often seen together; as if their common heritage holds a special bond. ### Special Note ### The Wyandotte Chicken has the distinguishment of being named after the Native Americans, the Wyandot people. Physical Attributes Wyandottes are generally a stocky bird. Once mature, they have long wattles under their chin and rose combs on their head. Their coloring can vary, but most breeds have very distinctive black tips on their feathers – giving

Black Australorp Just Hatched Around our house, my wife cares most for what things look like. I, on the other hand, really want things to work well. The Australorp chicken, we’re happy to say, does both very VERY well! The Australorp is a breed of chicken that works remarkably well in both homestead and small backyard situations. It has the physical size and egg production to benefit those who are looking to produce their own food. And it’s unique plumage allows it to look good while it’s doing it. Aside from one small quirk, the Australorp is about as perfect a chicken as one could ask for. Physical Attributes This breed of chicken is about average in size, with roosters weighing in around 8lbs and the

Light Brahma Just Hatched In our backyard is a friendly feathered gal named Miss FuzzFuzz. She’s a Light Brahma chicken, about 6 months old, who walks a little funny because of the ‘boots’ she styling. And while we try real hard not have favorites… she’s definitely on The List. But of course, we can’t talk about Miss FuzzFuzz without mentioning her size. Even the most novice of chicken herders can tell you that Brahma’s are a big breed of chicken. How big? REALLY big! For example, Miss FuzzFuzz is already close to matching the size of our established hens. And considering the Brahma’s can take up to 18 months to reach their peak size, I think it’s fair to say that our girl is going

Easter Egger Chicks - Just Hatched Open a box of Easter Egger chicks and you will redefine your understanding of what is ‘fun in a box.’ They are cute, they are fuzzy and no two birds look exactly the same. Fast forward six months and things get even more fun as your hens will start to lay eggs, the shells of which are as varying in color as their plumage. Wikipedia has the Easter Egger as ‘any chicken that possesses the blue egg gene, but doesn’t fully meet any breed standard defined in the American Poultry Association standards’. It’s probably easier to think of things like this: The Easter Egger is a ‘class/group’ of chicken that does not have a recognized breed standard, while still laying colored eggs. For example, in the case of a Barred

Buff Orpington - Just Hatched The Buff Orpington is solid looking, or ‘buff’ looking, chicken that generally has a gentle disposition. We have found that if you speak softly to them, they are more than willing to ‘hang out’ with you as you go about your business outdoors. Excluding roosters, I would say that this breed of chicken would be an excellent choice for having around children. In short, the Buff Orpington is a sweet mannered bird, capable of providing you with both eggs and meat, while have the additional bonus of easily going broody – meaning they make great mother hens. With regards to any negative aspects of the breed’s personality/behavior...I couldn’t think of a single one. It’s really hard to knock on a chicken that has such a quiet disposition. If anything, it might be

Barred Plymouth Rock Chick -- just hatched The Barred Rock is one of our favorite breeds of chicken. We have found that as chicks, they are usually the first to learn our ‘treat’ call and, when raised properly, tend to be a little more friendly/confident than some of our other breeds. If I were to summarize this bird in a single sentence it would be – the Barred Plymouth Rock is a wonderfully mannered bird that is capable of living in both warm and cold climates, while providing ample meat and eggs for consumption. In short, it’s a perfect breed of chicken for the backyard flock. If I were to say anything negative regarding this breed, it would be that whoever named it, made things way too hard. Some people call these birds ‘Barred Rocks’,