@Newyorkrita, Lily is my favorite too, she is such a curious & funny chick! Poppy, the larger one in those photos is my second favorite, friendly and curious too. Her legs are this odd greenish color, interesting how they all have differences in their legs and feet.

Calif_Sue said:@Newyorkrita, Lily is my favorite too, she is such a curious & funny chick! Poppy, the larger one in those photos is my second favorite, friendly and curious too. Her legs are this odd greenish color, interesting how they all have differences in their legs and feet.

I would have afew hens if it were legal here. I would love to have afew chickens. I find them very entertaining!

They're looking good, Americana's often have green feet. You might find it difficult putting them back into the pen unless it's getting dark out, then they will go back on their own. (Unless of course you have prenatally trained them to go back on command. ) They will eat lots of insects, but they can be somewhat destructive to gardens as they like to scratch in the mulch looking for bugs, and some tender plants can get dug up. That's a first class coup you have there!

They haven't learned the go back into the coop when the sun goes down yet. We went out for dinner a couple of nights ago and it took longer than expected and it was dark when we got home. They were all huddled together by the entrance door, just three feet from the ladder. I had to pick each one up to put them in. I am trying to shoo them up the ladder each evening, the bigger ones are easier, the little ones squawk and scatter. They'll eventually get it.

I got some of mine to go into a new coop by throwing a treat of cracked corn in for them.

I consistently call 'hey chickens' whenever I approach the chicken yard with treats (scratch, food scraps, yard waste), and that has worked wonders when they are out free-ranging. They actually come running from all directions and follow me into the yard. I always reward this with an extra handful of scratch.

Can you watch a running chicken and keep a straight face?

Suzanne, how are those chickens doing? Bet they are getting big.

I picked up an extra hen and duck from my neighbor. The hen refuses to go in the coop or chicken yard, but does hang around just outside the fence most of the day. I've tossed her over the fence during the day, and twice put her into the locked down coop at night, but she just flies away as soon as she can. Her wings have both been clipped (not by me) so nothing I can really do to keep her penned in. I'v dubbed her 'Live Free or Die.'

The duck is also able to fly in/out of the yard, but seems to stick with the flock most of the time. He's kind of a bully and often sits at the top of the chicken ramp blocking the door, which causes the hens to go a bit bonkers when it is time to lay an egg. I've named him Bert, but not sure how long he might last. I caught him yesterday chasing one of the hens around the yard mercilessly, with amorous intent. Yikes. He either needs a new home or a mate of his own species.

Oh dear. Lots of problems to iron out.

With luck the wild hen will also fly well when the coyote comes around...

Male ducks are a royal pain!

They are doing real good Tom! Just this week we felt they were finally big enough to let them out a bit, I was too nervous earlier since we sometimes have a hawk nearby. We let our little Yorkie in with them into the run, they are bigger than she is now and all came up to her to check her out, she couldn't wait to get the heck out of there!

Last pictures I took of them was end of Aug. but they have all increased in size of course.

Lily, the Speckled Sussex, she is the smallest of the 5.


Daphne likes sitting at the top of the ladder at the coop door.


Poppy seems to be the dominant one, her feathers are so pretty. She chases Daphne a lot for some reason. Being bossy I guess.

They are looking good. My Americana's are bossy too. I have a rooster that chases my turkeys around. One hen stands at the door at night and won't let some of the others in until she's ready to.

Calif_Sue said:They are doing real good Tom! Just this week we felt they were finally big enough to let them out a bit, I was too nervous earlier since we sometimes have a hawk nearby. We let our little Yorkie in with them into the run, they are bigger than she is now and all came up to her to check her out, she couldn't wait to get the heck out of there!

Last pictures I took of them was end of Aug. but they have all increased in size of course.

Lily, the Speckled Sussex, she is the smallest of the 5.


Daphe likes sitting at the top of the ladder at the coop door.


Poppy seems to be the dominant one, her feathers are so pretty. She chases Daphne a lot for some reason. Being bossy I guess.

They are all so pretty but of course Lily is my favorite.

She's my favorite too Rita!

Calif_Sue said:She's my favorite too Rita!

Since this thread is chicken questions i thought i would ask if anyone ever had a hen that lays no eggs, ever? I have a 2yo that has never laid. Do i have the only chicken with an infantile reproductive system?

I really don't know whether I have any non-layers; there are too many to keep track of who lays what.

I have one that has never laid an egg. I call it my he/she chicken. It has some characteristics of a male, i.e. some saddle feathers, and it is larger then a hen, but it has a small comb, and other features like a hen. It never crows or makes any sounds really. It's kind of a loaner, doesn't try to mate either way. Stays off by it's self most of the day, but comes back to the coop at night.

My poor hen had to be put in a cage all alone as the roosters would gang bang her. We found her under a pile of them, and rescued her. There must be something about her.