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As I was down to only 2 hens, only one of whom is laying and keeps going broody, thought it was time to get some newbies.

In keeping with my naming them after their colours (the last two were Snowy and Blackie ) these two are called Cinders and Bree.

Can you guess what colours they are? (only fans of Desperate Housewives will get the Bree one).

Since I'm not a fan, I think I'll have to wait until you post a photo!

Congratulations, anyway. I'll be looking after a friend's smallholding next week again - really looking forward to all those fresh eggs!

Oooooh! New chooks! Post at piccy soon! I don't watch but I've just been informed by my daughter (who apparently watches it despite me telling her to turn that sort of rubbish off!) that Bree is a red head

No I'm way too much of a wuss Susie, I'd be down to only one hen if I did that - mine get to live out their old age here at Chateau MMM, home to aged hens.... Actually I don't find that they cost much to keep as they don't eat a lot of layers pellets as I think they're too busy eating vegetation and bugs. The ducks cost much more particularly in bedding.

And Milims, yes Bree is a little red hen, darker than the others I've had with no white on her. Cinders should be pretty obvious if you think of fire and not Cindarella. She's a gorgeous colour which I've never seen before - the benefit of getting to the market early when there's plenty of choice!

Haven't taken any photos yet but this morning Bree decided to go in the nest box with the broody one and then Cinders who is a BIG girl tried to get in too! Oh they're so funny when you've got new ones, takes up too much time watching their antics.

Talking 'bout chicken names, our six all have stories behind them:
First batch were:
-Toe Pecker who had a habit of, yes you've guessed it
-Ruffles, the only one who has kept here juvenile white collar
-White Tail ( ) wonder why? Also known as Oven Ready (joke)
-No Name, we literally couldn't find a name for her!
The two young juveniles are Salt and Pepper, or the collective Condiments!

Lovely MMM.

Ours don't have names, and now we are watching John Headstrong's too... and they don't have names either. So they are 'our chickens' and 'visitor chickens'

Naming would make it easier to talk about individuals, but to me they all look the same so I wouldn't know anyway.

Ann Pan, I used to be the same, the old folks would point them out: 'that one's such and such', but it's actually quite easy to name them, and when you do, you remember which one's which! They all have Characters, and you actually find that they're really quite intellegent (try telling Salt, who on a regular basis manages to find a way out of the yard, that she's stupid! and less than a year out of the egg!)

It took a long time before I could name my ducks as white ducks really do look the same; eventually we went by beak colour and markings which developed on them (i.e. one is called Freckles ), but chickens do have different feather markings, and make different noises too not to mention their personalities which are quite different. Anyway it takes some time to notice all this and for some people that time could be better spent doing something else! But bird watching is one of my hobbies anyway.

Great Mandy. I know how you missed your fresh eggs. Having new girls is great fun. Do they all get on?

To answer Susie's question, I do despatch mine. Heartless but I do eat them so they are not lost in vain. I used to ask my neighbour to do it, but I've been on a course now and do my own. Not very often as the foxes tend to get mine first.

Zoe

Hi Zoe, they seem to be settling in quite well with the others - there was method in my madness by introducing them whilst one is mostly sitting in the nest box - but they seem pretty terrified of me, especially the big girl! They've finally learnt to use the pop hole though I had to rescue Bree from a heavy downpour yesterday and shove her inside - don't think she realised what rain was! Wish I had more time just to spend with them but it's a busy time in the garden.

Just discovered that my grey one is known as a 'Bluebell' in English. At the French markets they're generally just called by their colours!

Bluebell, that sounds lovely.

Should I be herding them in in the rain? They all (my 2 and John Headstrong's 3, who are visiting) all stood outside in a heavy downpour the other day. I would be more worried in the winter TBH.

bluebell sounds a lovely name,i`m afraid all our chicks now have names and that means they wont be going on our plates,the kids are cuddling them and we had a little lad in yesterday to see them,he has learning difficulties and when he picked up hennypenny she put her head on his shoulder and stayed quietly in his arms,it was lovely,mum took a pic she was so impressed,ours are now called,henny penny,rusty,copper,thats the rhode islands and sofie is the light sussex and coco is the blackrock,i could sit and watch them for ages,and we have had 2 eggs now,small but we are delighted,
to think i was a townie,my freinds in london would be very amused,

Annpan wrote:Should I be herding them in in the rain? They all (my 2 and John Headstrong's 3, who are visiting) all stood outside in a heavy downpour the other day. I would be more worried in the winter TBH.

No, they should be able to decide for themselves if they want to get wet or not - it's just that she was a newbie who hadn't at that time discovered what the pophole was for and the main door was shut, and probably the first time she'd experienced rain. So I put her inside, as she's only ickle (don't think she'll be POL for a while yet!).

shell wrote:bluebell sounds a lovely name,

Bluebell is the breed name! (a hybrid)

So finally I have my first egg, after a whole month! Not laid in the nest box, oh no, but in the poopy corner where they sleep (they haven't figured out this perching business yet). There was a bit of a hole in it too so we won't be eating this one but I'm still very proud of them whichever one it was!