"Penguin" Goes Broody

Gloria, one of our wee black Silkies has been sitting on her nest of eggs for almost a week now. Penguin, our Big Black Chicken, surprised us by joining her in the sisterhood of broodiness.

Penguin is the one who stares down our adorable little fluffball of a Silkie Rooster (who barely comes up to her shoulder) and consequentially has been voted "Least Likely to Lay Fertilized Eggs." But all that hasn't stopped her wee chicken brain from telling her it's time to sit on a nest.

The other day she was acting all prissy and strutting around and fluffing out her feathers in the most becoming manner. She fluffed up her tail feathers, and shook them out. She shook out her wings. She looked like she was dancing. And primping. And feeling pretty, oh so pretty...

And then she moved in to the lower nesting box of the converted old dresser.

At first there was no egg under her. Later on there was one of her own under her, but since we know THAT ain't happening, we took that egg out. And she continued sitting. She pulled out fluffy black breast feathers, and continued to sit. She stole wisps of hay from the nesting box beside her, and sat.

This chicken loves me. It's like she's part dog. She comes running up to me, she meets me at the gate. I hand feed her at Scrapfest in the afternoons. Yesterday, I brought her her favorite types of scraps from the afternoon Scrapfest, and she ignored me. This must be serious.

Now when we pet her and she purrs and made the most adorable trilling noises. It's adorable!

And she sits.

Since we're not in it for just the eggs, we decided to take three of the larger eggs out from under the Silkie and put them before her. One at a time she pulled them under her and tucked them in. And she's still sitting.

So our tiniest gal and our our biggest gal are going to be mamas in a few weeks!

Majora the Explorer

One afternoon we watched Majora fly out, and then back inside the fence again. For her own safety, and to contain her, we finally clipped her wing a while back. But even so, she's still bold.


Today the doors are open, and she keeps coming in the front door. I forgot to replace the barrier I'd put up, and got back to work here at my desk. I looked up to the sound of clicky-click, and there's Miss Majora walking back out again from somewhere inside the house. Her new name is now Majora the Explorer.

Majora the Explorer, back again

At least she had the good grace not to poop in the house.

Franglorious Chickens

We have 2 black Silkie chickens, Frances and Gloria. At a glance, it's hard to tell them apart. Since it's hard to tell which is which when we see them, we have mashed-up their names to "Franglorious".

One of "Franglorious" - not sure which one.
Don't you love that top-knot hairdo?

One half of Franglorious is currently laying adorable little eggs while the other is broody, which means she wants to sit on a clutch of eggs (real, or even imaginary) in the nest. This Spring, we have decided to let her sit on a few eggs, to see if they'll hatch.

Meet the Baby-Daddy

This is my "serious but moody" pic

Our Partridge Silkie rooster "Chipmunk" has funky black top-hat fluff, beautiful copper-brown fluffy feathers, and an iridescent green tail. He has a crow with a decided blues-riff to it. And recently, he's added syncopation. "Cock-a-doooo-e-ooo"... swing it, baby!

That's me. Keeping watch.

We've tried imagining what cross-breeds with every hen in the flock would be like. Too bad playing with genetics isn't like playing with Legos.

Yet.

 

Some hens didn't make the cut:

Penguin, who is very personable and friendly

Honeysuckle, the buff Minorca (too flighty, untamable) You move and she runs away.

Majora, the black Minorca (escapes too dang often, dreadful wanderlust) If I find her outside the fence one... more... time...

Penguin the Big Black Chicken (so sweet and personable, yet such an Amazon she will NOT be mated with. She just stares him down, like "Ri-i-i-ght.")
Penguin is the surprise favorite of the flock. She comes looking for me, takes treats gently, and sometimes I wonder if she's part dog.

The Favorites So Far:

Petite little Astrid, the Hambug

Astrid the Hamburg (petite, beautifully speckled feathers, beautiful pinkish-creme-colored eggs)

Twyla the Dominique (black and white stripey!) (Yet kinda chatty. Too chatty... Gossipy even...! As in, "Shut UP Twyla!")

Mocha the Easter Egger (fluffy cheek-muffs and sad brown Paul-McCartney eyes. Lays green eggs)

Frances the Black Silkie (one half of "Franglorious") because fluffy chickens are SO DANG CUTE!

Twyla, the Dominique. Queen of gossip, and chitter-chatter.

I wonder what will hatch? I just hope it's not a rooster. Or if it is, I hope it has his daddy's signature Blues Crow.