Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Meet the new chickie girls

After losing my beautiful, sweet, innocent hens it was just unbearable to be without chickies. I acted on a Craigs List notice sent to me by Lizzie. Less than a week after losing the girls, I drove to Calhan and on and on down country roads, past a small airport, turned right at an old Russian Orthodox church and on and on until I turned into the third green gate atop a windblown hill. Sheryl, a pleasant, smiling lady come out to greet me. She was follow out of the house by only 1 of their 5 dogs. She led a tour of the farm. All the animals were thrilled to have company. There was the brown and white cow who came loping out and chased a goat who had a grinning glint in her eye. Sweet brown and white pygmy goats jumped up on us and wanted kisses. They got them. There was also a myotonic goat....the fainting ones. Sheryl said it sometimes goes rigid and will fall over if bumped. They keep him in his own quarters so he is safe. Mischievous guests are not allowed to visit him. Following us on the tour was George, a beautiful peacock. He jumped on top of the chicken house, leaned out over the roof and peered into the open door. The young chickens were in two groups, one of 50 fuzzy chicks, the second house of 30 older ones with some feathers showing through their fuzz. There were not 3 baby chicks of the breeds I wanted so I got 3 of the older chicks. They are funny looking scraggly young teenagers, both they show promise of being beautiful adults. One is an Americauna, like my beautiful Arriauna, altho the new gal, Henrietta, is mostly brown with black and brown shawl. Also her personality is not timid. In fact she is the pack leader, somewhat of a bully! One is a Light Brahma, originally from China via India. She is on her way to looking like the standard. She will be large, white with black collar and black tail feathers. She gracefully lays around looking like a swan floating on a lake. She reminds me of Paris Hilton. I call her Swan. One is a Silver Laced Wyandotte. If she grows up to look like 'the pictures' she will be mostly white with a black shawl collar and black tail feathers. Right now her coloring is opposite. She is black with small white spots. Her head is mottled black & yellow. Her eyes are ringed with eyeglass frames, including black lines to the ear pieces. I call her Lacey. They are currently living in the back bedroom. They won't move outside until they are older and the Taj Mahal is fox proofed. We truly a ThreeChickenFarm!

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