Chickens are getting bigger

Here are a few recent pictures of the older chickens.  They are bigger now than our bantys were full-grown.  It's hard to believe that they will get even BIGGER.  No complaints, though - bigger chickens = bigger eggs!  And yes, they have names.  We decided to go to Disney for inspiration and named them as follows: Flora (white chicken), Fauna (speckled chicken), and Merryweather (whichever Araucana - blue egg layer - we keep).  For now, Claire has named the other Araucana "Aurora."  ('Cause they all have to have names, you know...)

If you look closely,  you can see the feathers starting to grow on Flora's feet.  Fancy!

Chickens!

Ever since we lost our banty hens to the new neighbors' cat a few years ago, I have been pining for new ones.  The neighbors (and their cat) moved away and we finally felt that we had the time and the secure yard to try again.  This time,  I decided against bantams - they were smaller, making them easier targets, and we had to constantly clip their wings to keep them from flying over the garden fence.  Instead, I researched some full-size breeds and then took a trip to the local feed store to pick them out.

We started with two - a Barred Plymouth Rock and a Light Brahma.  They were about a week old when we brought them home.

After just a week they had almost doubled in size!

They have doubled in size again, but I haven't taken any recent pictures.  They are fully feathered now and live in the coop outside.

A few weeks later I received an email letting me know that Auracana chicks had arrived (they lay blue eggs!)  I went and picked up two more - they were only a day old.  We only want three chickens, but there's a chance that one might be a rooster, so I picked up a 4th, just to be safe.  Thankfully, I have a friend who will take either a rooster or a hen.

Look at these little balls of fluff!

We're crossing our fingers for our fun brown and blue eggs by fall, but we may have to wait until the spring.  Sooooo excited!