The First Flock

White Leghorn

Our white leghorns have proven to be great egg layers. I know lots of people say leghorns are flighty and tend to be nervous, but ours are friendly and curious. In fact they are downright docile. Leghorns as a family, originated in the Mediterranean as an egg-laying species. They have a big, floppy comb that gives them a comical look, but it can get frostbite in the winter, so I always cover my leghorn's combs with petroleum jelly. White leghorns do stand out while they're grazing so it's nice to supply them with some cover to prevent predator attacks.


Barred Rock

We've got three Barred Rocks which are easily our favorite chickens. And that's hard to say since we like everyone in the flock! Barred Rocks were developed in New England in the early 1800's. And, I can't say enough about this breed. They are cold hardy and aren't bothered by the heat either. They are the quiet workhorse of a flock, laying brown eggs through most of the week. These are a dual purpose bird, so they can be used as eggers and as meaters. But ours are so dear, we could never eat them.



Silver Laced Wyandotte

We have one Silver Laced Wyandotte. She is truly a beautiful chicken and very sweet. Silver Laced Wyandottes as a breed are considered docile, however, I have seen some sources describe them as having a tendency toward domination and I agree with that. Silver Laced Wyandottes are very good layers of large brown eggs. And, they are cold hardy especially since the rose comb on the top of their head is close fitting and does not have a tendency to freeze.




Hoppy is our beautiful Partridge Cochin. We got a Cochin because one of my husband's favorite childhood memories was of his pet Cochin, Brumus, who used to ride around on his shoulder. Hoppy got her name because as a young chicken something happened to her foot/leg. We never could see any obvious problems, but her leg was definitely sore. Hoppy recovered, but has always had a funny hopping gait which is most noticeable when she runs. Cochins are huge fluff balls with feathered legs and feet and a "bun" of feathers at the base of their tails. They originally came from China in the 1800's and are best known for their show qualities. They can be broody (which means they want to sit on their eggs and hatch them) and usually lay a couple brown eggs per week.




Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...