11 May 2008

More pure breed chickens - NAMES UPDATE

It's Mother's Day in Australia today. Mother's Day - the one day of the year when we eat strange looking breakfasts and wear macaroni necklaces; the day I remember my own mother and celebrate being a mother. I know as sure as I'm sitting here that my sons will phone me today. Since the day they were born, they have brought continuing joy to me.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mums who read here.

I became a mother to ten more chooks yesterday. Ten more pure breed chickens that will lay golden eggs for us and, no doubt, make our backyard better for their presence. It's quite a long drive to our chook lady, but the drive is a lovely one via back streets and long stretches of lonely roads no highway traveller ever finds.

I did my knitting as we drove along, glancing at the landscape as it slipped by.


There are two big dams along the way that make great stopping off points for morning tea. We were entertained by the skiers and of course, there is always a baby magpie to feed.


We had lunch, watching more water skiers, beside a very friendly family who came over as soon as we arrived to offer to share the BBQ they'd just lit. We weren't cooking though - we had our homemade rolls and tea.

It was a nice day out but the highlight was choosing our new chickens. Rhonda, the chicken lady, let me have one of her Barnevelders, which was a real treat. I'd been asking about them every time I called. We also came home with a light Sussex, three silver Sussex, three barred Plymouth Rocks, a little Faverolles and another golden Hamburg - a playmate for Jewels.


I'll take some more photos today once they've settled in. At the moment, the Pymouth Rocks are my favourite. They're three really big gentle girls who endeared themselves to me when they walked around in circles in the dark because they couldn't find the perch.

We'll keep them safely inside the fenced coop until they realise that this place is home from now on. It will be a lovely thing to live with these chooks. They've all got different personalities and they're all incredibly beautiful in their own ways. I've named the Barnevelder Bernadette and the light Sussex Stella Gladys; I'll choose names for the others later today, if you have any suggestions, let me know.

NAMES HAVE BEEN CHOSEN!
My big Plymouth Rock girls are Dixie, Lulubelle and Blossom; the Barnevelder is Bernadette, the golden
Hamburg is Rosetta, the three silver Sussex are Pippa, Poppy and Mrs Rudd, the light Sussex is Stella Gladys and the Faverolles is Anna.
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15 comments

  1. I love your chickens. I live in NY on Long Island. I am seriously considering getting a few hens. I plan on visiting again.

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  2. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to spend a few relaxing minutes reading your past few posts.
    It was like a mini vacation.
    I have spent more time flower gardening this year. We do not have convenient sunny spots for a veggie garden but I am considering tucking a couple of tomato plants in with a front yard flower garden.
    I wonder how that would be?
    Love the chickens and am so glad that you could adapt and get larger chickens. Are they mixed in with your prior ones or do they get their own area? Ours are always mean to newcomers.
    We enjoy our fresh eggs very much.
    Becky K.

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  3. Hehe, I didn't get a macaroni necklace, I got a macaroni picture frame! Love the new chickens, they are all so cute looking.

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  4. Hello Linda, welcome. I hope you are able to get some chickens. They are great on so many levels.

    Hi Becky, thanks for vacationing with me. ;- ) I have grown tomatoes along with the flowers, they grow well together. The new chickens are in a penned off area so each group can see each other but not touch. After about a week or so, we'll let them out together.

    Yay Toria! I knew macaroni gifts would not go out of fashion. I wore my macaroni necklace to the store over 20 years ago. The lady next to me looked at it, smiled, and simply said: "I have a 4 year old too." That is an enduring memory of motherhood and a reminder of the familiarity women feel with others when they're mothers. It's like a not so secret club. I'm sure you'll love your picture frame for many years to come.

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  5. Hi Rhonda,

    thanks for the comment regarding my bread texture :-)

    Your chooks look lovely and Happy Mothers Day!

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  6. Love all the new names! Welcome, girls, how lucky you are to have Rhonda as your Mum.I'm looking forward to hopefully getting a couple of chickens in a few months'time. Need to do more garden planning and sorting first! Enjoyed the photos of your day out too. Diana x

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  7. I've just stumbled across your site and love it! You've inspired me - and given great resources as we begin establishing a more self-sustaining lifestyle. We've just moved to Brisbane and have a lovely big yard to work with. Chooks are high on the priority list, so will check your blog often for hints and help. Keep blogging and happy Mother's Day!

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  8. Happy Mother's Day Rhonda Jean!
    I hope your day was beautiful!
    Love,
    Chas

    http://www.homesteadblogger.com/chas

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  9. Lovely looking ladies. I'm sure they'll love their new home and settle right in.

    My little bantams are doing well. They aren't old enough to lay yet, but they are learning that I am the source of all good treats! I just pray that they'll be broody--like they are suppose to be.

    Kim

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  10. Happy Mothers Day Rhonda,
    Lizzie, Chicago IL

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  11. Happy Mother's Day, Rhonda!

    I wonder if you would explain (or suggest a good link) about the keeping and continuation of pure breed chickens. You have such a nice variety and I seem to remember your mentioning pure bred importance before. Nothing too deep, just a general skim of how and why maybe? Do you plan to bred any in the future?

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  12. Oh I do wish I could have a few chooks of my own but now I share my name with one of your beautiful silver sussex. Love to see a photo of my namesake.

    Pippa in Cornwall.

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  13. I love our barred rocks, Lucy and Ethel. We just can't get over how gentle and sweet they are. Lucy happily flies up on Josh's shoulder whenever he is in the yard (which is often) and Ethel likes to snooze on my lap when I read on the front porch. They are real sweethearts.

    Congratulations on your new babies and much love & hugs to the old babies!!

    Lacy

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  14. I love the names, particularly Mrs Rudd. I had a giggle at that one. I would dearly love chickens but the Bread Winner will not agree. I came home from work today to find a young chook in my front yard. I tried to entice her into a box of straw with some grain before one of the big cats in our street got to her but she was too timid. I hope she found her home safely.
    Any tips on how to catch her if she's still on the loose? We have some shockingly behaved cats in our street. A poor young chook doesn't stand a chance

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  15. Happy mothers day. Hens and all.

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