Chickens at FoxDog Farm!
Our Chickens
The icon above is Marti, one of our Buff Orpingtons. She's a very friendly chicken, and like many chickens, incredibly curious. Marti and her pals Yellow Foot, Priscilla and White Queen will come and help us when we are digging and weeding, moving right up between our legs to get first pick of whatever it is we are turning over. The other chickens all stay close by, waiting for us to throw them handouts.
Our chickens are entirely free range during the day, unless for some reason the farmers, and the foxdog Jaska, will be gone most of the day. This is because Jaska protects the chickens from the coyotes, racoons and various air born predators. If she isn't around, the chickens stay in their run. At night the chickens return to their coop except for the one that always manages to forget how to get there and ends up in a goat hay feeder, or something. There's always that one! Anyway, once that one is rounded up and returned to the coop, they are locked in for the night. This is to protect them from the predators. Jaska does periodic patrols through the night, but she does have to sleep some time...
Because our chickens are entirely free range, please do use caution when driving into the parking area by the house. The chickens may be out and about. Heck, the goats and the dog could be out and about too!
The New Chickens (Late Spring 2011)
We were finally able to consider adding chickens to our farm this Spring, of 2011. We'd planned this for a few years, but monetary and timing concerns had to mesh just right... And in 2011 they did!
We got our first chickens, 5 Ameraucauna and 5 Buff Orpingtons, in mid-May. 5 more chicks joined the flock, French Marans, in late May. The chicks started in the safety and warmth of our dining room, then moved to the garage. Randy built them a lovely large mini-coop for growing up in the garage. By July or so, they moved into their new coop!
Pics of the Fast Growing Chicks from June
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Becky has become beautiful, but then, haven't they all?
Becky Two and Becky. Becky Two is lighter. Both Ameraucaunas.
From the left, an orangie (Buff Orpington), Misty, Rose, Becky and a blackie (Maran). The orangies and blackies have names, I just can't remember them yet!
Misty and Petunia, two more Ameraucaunas.
Their temporary home in the garage. Cat proof, wind protected, warm and not in the house!
An Orangie in the front, with a few of the Ameraucaunas behind.
An Orangie and some of the blackies. They are trying out lettuce that we gave them.
Priscilla, on guard. Yes, an orangie whose name I can remember! She loves to sit on the water feeder, looking out
Rose, Petunia, and Orangie and Misty.
Baby Balls
of Cuddly Fluuff that Make Peeps and Sing! (May Pics)
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The chickens arrive and start to settle near the heat lamp.
Buffies to the one side, Americaunas to the other.
Some already have names. Here's Becky, an Ameraucauna.
And this is Misty, another Ameraucauna.
Misty and Becky sleeping after the hard work of getting picked up!
Petunia, asleep. It's amazing how quickly they sleep and wake, and how they do it just wherever they are. Kinda like goat babies.
Here's the White Queen (a buffie) and Becky.. Jr.
A buffie does a faceplant off the roost. They are so cute and funny!
Randy put a mirror in for them. This is a buffie and Petunia exchanging makeup tips.
