Okay, there is nothing particularly strange about my chickens. I have 6 run of the mill black sex link chickens and 5 Mottled English Orpingtons. I love both of them for very different reasons too. I love the little black sex links as they are a hearty little bird and good layers. The one down-fall to these little ladies is they are noisy. They give the meaning to the phrase 'a gaggle of cackling hens'!
Now on the other hand I have my lovely mottled orpingtons. They are so quiet and the most sweet docile birds ever. Even the two roosters I have (both are the mottled orpingtons) are so sweet and non-aggressive. Great breeders through. I barley get the coop door open in the morning before my black and white tiger is all over his first lady! Not big on crowing either, but I do hear the occasional crow. The one down side to these big beautiful birds is they suck at laying! It took my hens what seemed an eternity to start laying eggs. Probably not a breed I would keep a lot of - but will keep a few around for as they are known to be broody.
Okay, so what makes my chickens so strange? Well, one they are incredibly spoiled and they know it too. During the last week when it was so cold out here on the East Coast I wanted to ensure my ladies were comfortable and had plenty of calories to help them stay warm. So, each time I trudged out to their coop to empty the ice buckets and refill with fresh water I would bring them a little treat. Usually grapes, carrots, table scraps from my salads that kind of stuff.
I even went so far as to shave the carrots for ease of eating for my feathered friends (okay, maybe, the title of this should be something more along the lines of I am the Strangest Chicken Mom Ever). Well anyway, I started hand feeding the chickens the grapes to make sure everyone got their fare share. Now I have a 11 BFFs who follow me around and try to eat my little sausage fingers! I don't know if you have ever had a chicken try to eat your finger - its not as cute as it sounds! just take my word for it.
My other observation over the past week has been this. The little black sex links remind me of little raptors strait out of Jurassic Parks (your know, the little tiny ones who ate the little girl off the beach in the second movie) they are very aggressive and have no problem stealing a grape out of another's beak. Now, the Orpington's on the other hand are so sweet and stand off in the back and wait until I toss them a grape or what ever. They then scurry to a corner of the run and eat their treat and come back. They are like perfect little ladies and gents. Unlike the much smaller black sex links who are strait gangster about snagging some treats. It makes me laugh because even the roosters won't typically steal a treat from another chicken - they will wait till I toss out something else or go to the cracked corn scratch I have tossed out too.
I find it so strange that this big hearty birds let the little sex links for all intents and purposes bully them. Why do they not realize they are large and probably much stronger birds than the feisty little sex links. So weird!
The below picture is of my lovely birds on their first day out of the coop braving the cooler temps last week for some tasty treats. Needless to say I love my little homestead and all my critters. They truly have given me a great sense of purpose lately and I needed that in my life.
I wish I could get a picture of the feeding frenzy when I bring the treat bucket out - but I am usually fending off the little black raptors who are trying to gobble my fingers because apparently I am not fast enough at producing their treats.
Happy Homesteading Friends and Enjoy Your Weekend 