“Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral.”
~ Frank Lloyd Wright
Remember when I posted back in March, and these guys were all nothing more than little puff-balls? They are 13 weeks old today and each about the size of a medium house cat. With beaks. We really lucked out, not knowing what we were doing when we picked these out — the Barred Rocks are pretty even tempered and hardy. They don’t pick on each other much. The Accidental Rooster keeps everyone in line, but isn’t too mean. Except that he’s selfish when it comes to treats. Oh, we’re giving out a strawberry? WOOSH… that streak was the rooster, grabbing the berry before it hit the ground and darting off to a corner to gobble it down before the girls are any wiser. Oh, Rooster.
We haven’t named them as we still can’t really tell any of the girls apart. They do have personalities, and there are moments when those personalities become very apparent — mostly after we’ve spent some time hanging out with them — like we have a little escape artist, one who likes to sit on laps and stretch out for petting, and one who is super observant. But I can never see at a glance which is which!
They’re not peeping anymore, now their voices have taken on that deeper clucking noise. The other morning, when I was having some difficulty getting the coop door open, Rooster crowed at me a little, but not loudly. We’ll see what he sounds like when he starts crowing in earnest. None of the neighbors seem concerned, so we will just see. (We are semi-rural… very heavy on the semi.)
In other chicken news, I’m really enjoying the blog Happy Chickens Lay Healthy Eggs, written by Orren, a 12-year-old boy who is raising what looks like a pretty darn big flock. He’s concerned about responsible agriculture, supporting local farmers and, of course, healthy chickens. Orren is trying to raise $500 for Heifer International to buy flocks of chickens.
From the Heifer International site:
A flock of chicks can help families from Cameroon to the Caribbean add nourishing, life-sustaining eggs to their inadequate diets.
The protein in just one egg is a nutritious gift for a hungry child. Protein-packed eggs from even a single chicken can make a life-saving difference.
Heifer helps many hungry families with a starter flock of 10 to 50 chicks. A good hen can lay up to 200 eggs a year – plenty to eat, share or sell. With Heifer recipients’ commitment to pass on the offspring and training, the exponential impact of adding chickens to communities in poverty is truly a model that helps end hunger and poverty.
Because chickens require little space and can thrive on readily available food scraps, families can make money from the birds without spending much. And chickens help control insects and fertilize gardens.
I’m planning to donate a bit. If you can donate too, please visit Orren’s blog (linked above) and follow his link to his donation page. If you just want to help spread the word, please consider posting about his efforts on your blogs! I think the cause is great and Orren’s clearly a kid with a big heart, so I’d love to see him meet his goal.
Cluck, cluck!
They are beauties! I keep waiting to see if one of our Barred Rock turn into a rooster. I think ours are at the 9 or 10 week mark now.