Three new Hens

My last post about chickens was when eagle and fluffy and hawk and tulley and nutmeg were still with us back in early 2014.
A lot has happened since.
Nutmeg was the next to go with complications of a heart defect.
All that was left was old Red mama and her hatched chicks.

Hawk declined and was euthanized. She had reproductive tumors.

Tulley fought hard to get over an infection (lash egg) but the complications did her in a few months later and she passed in her sleep one night. Leaving us with Fluffy and Eagle.

So, I needed more chicks and decided to order pure breeds from a NPIP certified hatchery to get the feather colors and patterns I wanted and to get all females. The chicken as pets movement is gaining popularity and there was finally a place or 2 you could order small batches of chicks from.

Awe... just look at them... soooo cute!

The "fantastic 4" arrived in late June 2015 and grew in a brooder in the garage.

Sue (black australorp) was not the strongest and died quickly.

They were slowly introduced to the big girls and were put out in a modified run in the big run.

After months of trying, eagle just would not accept them. I couldn't trust her around them as she would try to attack them every chance.
So sadly, I decided to try and re home her with her sister fluffy (so she would have a friend). Found the perfect match for them luckily.

Now, the flock was soooo much less stressed. It was so quiet and peaceful and red and the new crew get on just fine.

3 years have passed and here is their story so far...

Bennie.

The cutest thing made me just absolutely fall in love with Cochin. She is the bottom of the order. Loud, let's you know it if anything is amiss or if she just wants out. Very vocal! Tough as nails, fearless. Attacks anything that moves. Kills mice with a precision bite to the back of the head and a firm shake. Attacks my feet with the same fervor. She of a bit of a little toot. I think she thinks she is a cat. She will fall asleep on my lap but only when she wants to. She lays more eggs than I was hoping for. She keeps up with the rocks.
She turned out a little darker than I was hoping for but it's a good because she looks allot like tulley and has great markings and lots of fluff. And that fluff makes it tough when the temps get above 80F.
At 3 years old, she is a grumpy old lady.

Johnnie.

Lives up to her namesake as a super fast one. She is athletic, fast. Super scratcher. Sweet but scared of everything! She whines like a little chihuahua. Other than that, she is fairly quiet. She takes forever to lay her eggs. She has had a skin problem with her feet though every since she was chick and I have to check her and treat her with meds often. She hatched some eggs for me (that is another story). Was not the best mom. She comes eagerly when called. Likes to bite legs and feet of others.

Reede.
Oh my reede. <3

 She was top of the order, after Red, of course. Although, sometimes she forgets and it's kinda funny seeing the look on red's face before she retaliates to remind Reede of the order.
She can be a bit of a bully. She loves people and people attention. She literally begs me to hold and pet her. She loves wing and shoulder massages. She talks a lot and trusts her mama and wants to hang out with me. Every few weeks I've got to bathe her because her neck isn't long enough to reach her backside. But, she loves drying time because it means she gets to  sit on my lap and get pet and blown dry with warm air - she just loves it and falls asleep while leaning up on me. Reede feathers have blurry barring and some of the darker bars have brown tint. She took over mothering the chicks that Jonnie hatched, thank goodness. She tried to steal the babies from the moment they were put under Jonnie. She was a great mom! They had no choice to accept her when Jonnie kicked them all out from under her because she was too hot. Reede gladly accepted!
My heart just shattered when I lost my sweet Reede this past summer to internal laying. The vet was awesome and I got to spend some time with her before she was peacefully euthanized. She was a very very special one! She loved her momma, loved to snuggle and seemed to know when I needed a chicken hug most.

Red Chicken died the summer before last. She had heart failure and died on the exam table before the last injection could be administered. She was a pal to me. Never liked being held or pet. But had to be nearby. She just wanted to hang out. She was a perfect chicken. Quiet unless something was wrong. Survivor. Fair and just leader. Great mother. She was a chicken that seemed wise. Laid eggs like a machine until she ran out. Then, enjoyed the retirement she deserved.