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Monday, October 24, 2011

The Flock

Meet the gang.
It's been three weeks since our adopted flock came home to abide at the Rural Roost. Our new residents, Elijah the cockerel and the four pullets have settled in rather nicely. The girls are shy little creatures taking more time to come out of their shell and any thoughts of naming them, especially by the glimmer twins, were quickly dispelled as soon as they arrived. Why you ask? Because you can't tell them apart. It's as simple as that.
There is one exception. It seems three of the ladies follow Eli without fail. They sort of remind me of the Supremes in this photo. Where Eli goes, they go. The fourth lovely lady however has a mind of her own. Either that or she is easily distracted and gets left behind but I'll never tell; that's her story, not mine. 
In those first few days after their arrival a head count was done, oh, about every five minutes or so and inevitably there would be one missing. "One, two, three, four. Where is number five?" I would ask the rest of them. And hence the last little girl is known affectionately as Number Five. Only thing is, we can only tell which one is Number Five when she's off doing her own thing. Which can go on for quite some time, by the way, but she eventually makes a quick jaunt across the yard to catch up with her roostmates, as captured above. We'll be sure to bring this photo out again at her wedding, just to embarrass her one last time.
As I've mentioned before, these birds are Chanteclers, a rare and endangered breed, one of only two to originate from Canada. They are cold tolerant birds which they've already proven to us, as they love to forage in the little woods beside their coop all day long, despite the cold, drizzly grey days we've experienced the last few weeks.
When the group arrived Eli was the same size as the ladies but has grown significantly over the last few weeks and is now much taller than the others. His feet are quite massive as well, and as you can see his plumage is quite colourful. I do think, however, that both sexes have beautiful colouring. But I still tell Eli he's a pretty boy. Happy rooster in training, happy Rural Roost!
Eli's tail feathers will continue to grow and both he and the girls have bluish green feathers with an iridescent glow. These Chantecler are the partridge variety, while the original Chantecler breed has white plumage.
We're thoroughly enjoying getting to know these guys. Within no time, Eli was eating out of our hands and while they're still not too fussy about being petted, they do love to follow us around the yard. In fact, sometimes I turn around to see them running after me. I'd like to think they adore me, but these little Scratchheads have only one thing on their mind and I don't believe they think I'm their mama.
As the last vestiges of the gardens were plucked away this weekend, we discovered how much the chickens love raspberries and adore strawberries. So much so, that they pestered me for more the next day. I offered them some swiss chard but they turned their beaks up at that. Yes, they're picky eaters too. Luckily, I'm used to that!
So as we continue to learn about coop keeping, bird tending and just how much poop a chicken can make, we're falling in love with these little creatures as they roam, scratch and peck around the old farmhouse. Dare I say, another Rural Revival at it's best?

~Be well friends!~




 

29 comments:

Elizabeth Edwards said...

what neat little creatures. i had no idea that they would be so picky like us humans in what they would & would not eat. an interesting view into your daily life. if only we could have chickens where we live ...but the neighborhood committee would something to say about that. ha. fun. (:

Anonymous said...

Eli's colours are gorgeous...I could see them translated into something knitted or quilted!
Now you just need an animal that will give you something to knit with....hint hint.
Love Stalker/Mom

Anke said...

And again I'm suffering from chicken envy... Their coloring is just beautiful!

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

They are beautiful! I love the color hues in their plumage.

My chickens love sunflower seeds, raisins, tomatoes, lettuce... yogurt!... and especially blueberries. They are spoiled.

Millie said...

And what a colorful gang they are!

Patricia @ 9th and Denver said...

Wow! you little gang looks great.

I hope to be able to let ours out of the coop by Spring...it all depends on the dogs moving with the daughter.

Your pictures are wonderful.
We're newbie chicken owners ourselves and I just love hopping around to read about everyone's chickens.

Pat

Chris at Red Gate Farm said...

Their coloring puts my Rhode Island Reds, White Leghorn and Aracaunas to shame.... although I do get brown, blue and green eggs so maybe that makes up for the lack of actual hen colors?

Mine love strawberries too... but cucumbers and corn (on the cob) seem to be their all time favorites!

~Chris

Maura @ Kisiwa Creek Photography said...

They're beautiful Andrea and will only get more so as they mature. I'll have to look this breed up...the name rings a bell though. Chickens are such wonderful creatures and I love the sound of them clucking away and love to watch them scratch and peck for food. They're very vocal aren't they! Enjoy your chickens and their poop...just think how beautiful your garden will be next year!!!
Maura :)

TexWisGirl said...

YAY! glad they're settling in nicely! i know their plumage will be beautiful once they fully respond to your loving care!

~from my front porch in the mountains~ said...

I have chicken envy too! They are just gorgeous-oh, those feathers! The
colors look iridescent!
I think #5 has ADHD. But, it's OK. She is just her own chicken. Not like those chickies at Windsor who have no individual style!!
I look forward to many more posts about the flock! This makes me very happy :)
LYLAS!
xo, misha

Megan @ Restoring the Roost said...

Awww, they are sweet. Aren't chickens so much fun? I am so glad to see you have a rooster- I think it makes a huges difference in the flock and roosters make things so much more entertaining and interesting.

Unknown said...

I think those are the prettiest chickens I've ever seen! ha! And I giggled at The Supremes comment - ha ha ha! Looks like it to me too.

Thanks for linking up at my place today. :)

Osage Bluff Quilter said...

Beautiful poultry! And I bet the best eggs too!

Lynne said...

What fun it was to view your newest babes . . . it makes me smile to realize how much I am enjoying learning about chicks, horses, birds, dogs, cats, insects in the past five months since my blogging began.

Your photos are wonderful . . . like usual.

And #5, she just has a mind of her own . . . .

Shirley said...

I have a 150 year old farm house too! But only one acre of land. The rest of the surrounding land belongs to the golf course. I plan on having a coop finished by spring and that's when I'll get my 4-5 chicks. I've wanted laying hens for about a year but couldn't find anyone to build me a coop! Wonderful photos of your brood.

Jocelyn said...

They are beautiful! When we have doubles/triples/whatever of a breed, we call them 1 of 5, 2 of 3, or whatever. My husband says they're like Borg. Too much TV!!

Gina Kleinworth said...

That is SO COOL!!!

Denise at Autumn Sky said...

That's funny. When ours were younger and I'd be waiting for them to go in at night, I'd count them. Okay, who's going to be Number Three? You don't want to be Number Ten, do you? Aren't we just silly about our chickens? I can tell Eli is going to be very handsome when he matures and gets his glorious rooster feathers. Have fun.

Harvest Kitchen Sisters said...

Nice chickens! I have some of the white variety here.. they are hearty if not mischievous! Good luck with your new brood!!

Laura

Rose said...

I so enjoyed this post!! I think Eli is one handsome fellow...actually they are all beautiful.

Flat Creek Farm said...

Aren't they wonderful?! The Chanteclers are absolutely gorgeous. Love them! -T

Anonymous said...

Wonderful photos!!

Gone Country said...

They're beautiful! I did not know that Chanticleers were endangered! How cool that you have four, no wait, five (lol!) of them!

And, once you start getting fresh eggs, you'll love them even more!

Elle Bee said...

I am so partial to chickens--and oh my, what gorgeous chickens you have!! I love their colors!

Also, I'm just about to fall off my chair looking beyond the chickens in the photos to the beauty in which you live. Breathtaking!

The Coolidges said...

So fun! I wish we could have chickens, but my husband works for a poultry company and they don't allow us to have birds at our home.

Love their colors!

Would love for you to follow us a www.coolidgelifeonthefarm.blogspot.com

Amy

KellyJean said...

Amazing pictures cuz!!
Those chickens are so beautiful!!
I've been living with about 15 the past two months and cannot believe how amazing they are to have around! I find myself in the run with them for hours talking in chicken with them and sharing fresh foods! LovEly to see you guys are enjoying that same breed of company :) I'll have to capture some closer shots of them to send to you! Happy Fall & Halloween!! Please send my love to the family. I miss you all muchly!
much, Much love!!

Travel With Lulu said...

I have big time fowl envy! What beauties :) Numbers 1 through 5 :) I hope you are enjoying your newest family members - it looks like so much fun.

Thank you for joining Post Of The Month Club :) XoLaura

Jennifer@threedogsinagarden said...

One of these days I hope to have a flock of chickens of my own. I hope they have as much personality as yours do.

Brenda said...

Oh, they have some pretty feathers. I do not know if this hop is a good thing for me or not. I will be going away and thinking of the new breeds I am going to want next spring. Yours are lovely.