#tinyflock

Welcome to my new life with chickens!

These four chickens, to be specific. Well, now there’s three because the gold one in front got eaten by a hawk, but more on that later. (RIP, precious little Florence Nightingale.) 

Our three girls are named Harriet Tubman, Temple Grandon and Frida Kahlo, from left to right. Since we are only allowed hens in our town—six hens per yard, and no roosters—you can expect some wonderful, powerful female names to come into our coop. All named by Opal.

The two weeks since we got these little ladies have been a crash course. I researched for months before we actually got them—I read everything I could find online, I took a class, I talked with the staff at Jax ad naseum—but, as with everything, nothing compares to the actual doing of it. 

Now they are eleven weeks old. In that gangly teenage phase between fluff and real feathers. But the good thing about being a chicken, at least I presume, is that you don’t have to be bothered with the self-judgment that runs rampant throughout the human teenage years.

Harriet, far left, has a perpetually anxious look on her face and tail feathers that are laced with gray. She's our easter egger and she’ll lay green eggs once she’s old enough. (Egg laying happens at about 20-25 weeks.) She’s the tallest and seems to have the strongest opinions. Like a female gym teacher that always wears a whistle.

It appears that Temple and Flo are in the middle of a bro-hug in the photo here. Temple, on the left, looks like she's about to get caught for embezzling funds. Not sure what breed she is, but Flo was a Buff Orpington. Frida, who is in the back being an 'artist'—as in, eccentric and a bit of a loner—is a Rhode Island Red. 

Much to learn about caring for these sweet babies. And while there are a ton of resources out there about having backyard chickens, I found myself totally overwhelmed by all the perspectives and opinions. Much like with parenting,  we live in an era of information overload. So I’m justing taking it one step at a time.

Hopefully this blog can be a place where people can come for discerned information, helpful links and facts, but ALSO to observe and appreciate the world these little creatures help to create.