Wow, how the time has flown by! Daily the girls are looking more like adult hens. I just love when they lie down and fluff out their feathers to make that beautiful round hen shape.
The girls love their coop, but love it even more when we go out in the morning to let them out of the coop. We love to watch them take turns flying out the coop door as if to say “good morning world!” It’s no wonder that these feathery creatures have so often been depicted in books and movies- they are such animated little creatures.
Each of the ladies has her own unique personality and is maturing at different rates.
Francis, Dominique
She is our little baby. Francis, although now about the size of the other girls, will be the smallest of our hens. Her breed averages around 5 lbs at adult age, the other hens are considered heavy breeds and will average 6-7 lbs. After reading about chicken breeds we were hesitant to get a Dominique because what we had read indicated that she would be unhappy in our small coop and run space and would be the most skittish of the birds. Francis is just the opposite! She is very docile, affectionate and sweet. She is the only chicken that freely lets our 4-year old pick her up and she will fall asleep on whatever lap she is placed. The other hens adore her and treat her like their little sister, they even fall asleep with their necks draped over her body.
Jane, Black Australorp
What a beautiful bird Jane is growing up to be! She has started to develop her adult feathers which glow an iridescent blue and purple. We call Jane the mama hen (or is she a rooster?). She is always on the lookout for danger and stretches her neck out tall to make sure all the other hens are safe. She seems to be one of the largest of our girls, especially when she lays down and fluffs her feathers.
Lizzie, Delaware
I have to admit, I had some reservations about Lizzie when she was a chick. Her constant pecking at the other girls and pure stupidity when it came to food could be irritating at times. Now that Lizzie has matured she is one of my favorites. She loves attention, and refuses to be the last chicken to settle down on my lap. She is the one who jumps on my back when given the opportunity and one of the first to greet me in the morning.
Maggie, New Hampshire Red
For the longest time Maggie ruled the roost. She was the largest chick and remained the largest until just a couple of weeks ago. She is now about the size of Francis, although definitely more “meaty” than Francis. Maggie is terrified of our resident chipmunk and runs franticly at first site of the little furry beast. Because of this we’ve been trying our best to install updates to the run to keep “Chippy” from getting in. So far we have been unsuccessful.
Alice, Speckled Sussex
Alice’s place on this list in no way indicates her favor in my heart. To most visitors Alice seems the most detached from the group. In many ways she is, she likes to roam around alone, she enjoys being outside even when the air is chilly, and she doesn’t spend long periods of time at the feeder (although you wouldn’t guess that by her size!). I think I like her so much because she reminds me of myself- content in the silence of solitude. She is a little hard to catch (still!), but don’t let that confuse you. She sure does love to cuddle on your lap or arm or back. Alice is still by far the most beautiful of our birds, her speckled color patterns are a fingerprint of God’s creative beauty.
