Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
Are there any breed of chicken that have purple feathers? Or lay purple eggs?
The chickens on Green Acres layed square eggs.
The chickens on Green Acres layed square eggs.
Chicken Chronicles
- Thread starter CWS4322
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Are there any breed of chicken that have purple feathers? Or lay purple eggs?
The chickens on Green Acres layed square eggs.
OP
OP
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
There are lavender Orpingtons and there is a royal-purple chicken--it is European--I haven't been able to find out the breed or what color eggs that breed lays...saw a picture in one of my "Chicken" books, but no credit and no identifier re: the breed...I so want one (or more) of those. The girls are getting sisters today...more Rhode Island Reds arriving at about 3:00 p.m. This should be interesting...Are there any breed of chicken that have purple feathers? Or lay purple eggs?
The chickens on Green Acres layed square eggs.
A study in pecking order...
OP
OP
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
I finally found the battery charger. We brought Pebbles in to check her leg...she stayed in for awhile with us. She is definitely a "pet" chicken--she is so accustomed to us doing stuff re: her leg, that she is very calm and cooperative. Here's a picture of her on the DH's lap getting some treats. I made hummus earlier and had some chickpeas leftover. Chicks like chickpeas!
The others were practicing their vertical lift skills...oh-oh. Momma decided that she's done with the chicks and escaped to be with the others today. When it came time to lock them down, I was wondering if she'd want to go back to the chicks...nope, she's roosting with her old buddy--Myrtle. While we were putting up the partions in the kennel building (where I hope to move the hens--there is water out there and it is where I wanted them, not in the barn), Myrtle came in to eyeball the chicks. We threatened her with "mommy duty." She wasn't interested and beat it out of the kennel building the next time we opened the door!
The others were practicing their vertical lift skills...oh-oh. Momma decided that she's done with the chicks and escaped to be with the others today. When it came time to lock them down, I was wondering if she'd want to go back to the chicks...nope, she's roosting with her old buddy--Myrtle. While we were putting up the partions in the kennel building (where I hope to move the hens--there is water out there and it is where I wanted them, not in the barn), Myrtle came in to eyeball the chicks. We threatened her with "mommy duty." She wasn't interested and beat it out of the kennel building the next time we opened the door!
Attachments
Pebbles looks happy!
Pet chickens in one thread and cooking chickens in another...aren't we a strange group.
Pet chickens in one thread and cooking chickens in another...aren't we a strange group.
OP
OP
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
I've been a bit remiss about sharing life with chickens lately. We lost three of the chicks--heartbreaking. It is hard to believe that the remaining four will be 8 weeks old on Sunday. They are in the "ugly" chick stage.
Monday was a sad day as well. Millie went missing. I hunted high and low for her--she had been venturing over the fence into the neighbour's field, but she would come to the front door, I'd let her in, and she'd run through the living room to the patio door. She didn't do this on Monday when it was time to roost. I turned on all the yard lights, left Cliff out in the yard, opened the living room windows, kept the TV on all night, slept on the couch (what little sleep I got). I was up patrolling for predators off and on throughout the night. I was up at dawn, hopeful she'd be cooing (she has a very distinct coo). No cooing. I hunted for her most of Tuesday, no Millie. Rocky was extremely aggressive and the hens were very skittish. I headed out to the farm after I locked the chickens down. The DH came on Wednesday to make sure the chickens were locked down. He spent 2 hours walking the fence line looking for Millie. No Millie. I got home last night from the farm--no Millie.
A friend called to see if she could pick up some eggs and veggies. I went out to the barn to get today's eggs.
"Cooooooo."
"Millie, where are you?"
"Coooo-here."
"Where's here?"
"Cooooo."
Millie had the habit of spending time in the loft at the farm. I looked in the loft, no Millie.
"Where are you?"
"COOOOO!!!"
Odd--that sounded as if it came from near the floor...there are three box stalls (originally for Clydesdales--so BIG box stalls). Between #2 and #3 is a gap of about 6". Lo and behold, Miss Silly Millie was trapped between the two stalls.
"OMG, is that you, Millie?"
"Cooo (who else could I be)?"
I grabbed a stool (happened to have one out there for them to use to get in the nest box--to heck with getting chicken poo on my shoes), stood on it and grabbed Miss Millie. The only part of her body I could reach were her tail feathers. Not the most dignified way to be lifted out of the hole in which she was trapped, but it was the best I could do.
I carried her out to the yard, still not 100% sure it wasn't Henny or Penny (they all tend to look alike when they are not together). I put her down, she bolted for the water dish. Rocky came racing over, clucking, crowing, etc. I went in, got some treats, and tossed those on the lawn...Millie attacked the food, Henny and Penny came running. Yup--Sheeeeeee's BACK!!!!
Monday was a sad day as well. Millie went missing. I hunted high and low for her--she had been venturing over the fence into the neighbour's field, but she would come to the front door, I'd let her in, and she'd run through the living room to the patio door. She didn't do this on Monday when it was time to roost. I turned on all the yard lights, left Cliff out in the yard, opened the living room windows, kept the TV on all night, slept on the couch (what little sleep I got). I was up patrolling for predators off and on throughout the night. I was up at dawn, hopeful she'd be cooing (she has a very distinct coo). No cooing. I hunted for her most of Tuesday, no Millie. Rocky was extremely aggressive and the hens were very skittish. I headed out to the farm after I locked the chickens down. The DH came on Wednesday to make sure the chickens were locked down. He spent 2 hours walking the fence line looking for Millie. No Millie. I got home last night from the farm--no Millie.
A friend called to see if she could pick up some eggs and veggies. I went out to the barn to get today's eggs.
"Cooooooo."
"Millie, where are you?"
"Coooo-here."
"Where's here?"
"Cooooo."
Millie had the habit of spending time in the loft at the farm. I looked in the loft, no Millie.
"Where are you?"
"COOOOO!!!"
Odd--that sounded as if it came from near the floor...there are three box stalls (originally for Clydesdales--so BIG box stalls). Between #2 and #3 is a gap of about 6". Lo and behold, Miss Silly Millie was trapped between the two stalls.
"OMG, is that you, Millie?"
"Cooo (who else could I be)?"
I grabbed a stool (happened to have one out there for them to use to get in the nest box--to heck with getting chicken poo on my shoes), stood on it and grabbed Miss Millie. The only part of her body I could reach were her tail feathers. Not the most dignified way to be lifted out of the hole in which she was trapped, but it was the best I could do.
I carried her out to the yard, still not 100% sure it wasn't Henny or Penny (they all tend to look alike when they are not together). I put her down, she bolted for the water dish. Rocky came racing over, clucking, crowing, etc. I went in, got some treats, and tossed those on the lawn...Millie attacked the food, Henny and Penny came running. Yup--Sheeeeeee's BACK!!!!
I'm glad you found her. I wonder how long she was trapped in there. A friend's cat got trapped in someone else's garage. The first thing he wanted was water too.
Hooray!!
I love a happy ending!!
Y'know....you have a nice way with words.
I think you oughta write a book about the adventures of you and your chickens!
I love a happy ending!!
Y'know....you have a nice way with words.
I think you oughta write a book about the adventures of you and your chickens!
OP
OP
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
She'd been there since sometime Monday. She was out with the others when I left for the farm Monday morning, not around when I got back around 5:30. I had been in the barn calling her, but she did not answer me until today. I was hoping she was sitting on a clutch of eggs somewhere because my egg count was down...but, there are 4 eggs beyond my reach where she was trapped. I guess they don't need food or water to produce an egg. She was without food and water for 4 days. Glad it wasn't last week with that horrid heat we had. At least it was cooler this week.
OP
OP
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
Thanks, Hoot. You have no idea how happy I was to find her. She is one of my favorites--I love her distinct "coo."
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
That's a terrible story to tell to a heart patient. But the ending slowed my heart rate down. Poor Millie. As for the chicks, how is Pebbles doing? I hope he wasn't one of the lost ones. It is not unusual to lose some of the chicks. The strongest ones will peck the weakest ones or chase them away from the food.
I remember as a kid, if we had a brooding hen, and she had less than a dozen eggs under her, we would take some from some of the other hens that had only one or two and slip them under the brooder. Some of the eggs wouldn't hatch, and some of the hatched chicks wouldn't make it to adulthood. We were always looking for at least a dozen chicks making it to hen/rooster status. Only one rooster at a time though in the yard. Any chicks that were roosters ended up in the pot. My job was to hold the bird while the axe came down. Nothing like learning at an early age where your food comes from. I have no problem with slaughtering animals for food as long as it is done quickly and humanely.
I remember as a kid, if we had a brooding hen, and she had less than a dozen eggs under her, we would take some from some of the other hens that had only one or two and slip them under the brooder. Some of the eggs wouldn't hatch, and some of the hatched chicks wouldn't make it to adulthood. We were always looking for at least a dozen chicks making it to hen/rooster status. Only one rooster at a time though in the yard. Any chicks that were roosters ended up in the pot. My job was to hold the bird while the axe came down. Nothing like learning at an early age where your food comes from. I have no problem with slaughtering animals for food as long as it is done quickly and humanely.
OP
OP
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
Sorry, Addie, didn't mean to stress you. I've been holding back sharing stories because I didn't have happy endings until today.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
Sorry, Addie, didn't mean to stress you. I've been holding back sharing stories because I didn't have happy endings until today.
Having had chickens in my life as a kid, I love Millie, Harriet and all the others as much as you do. A farm kid never names the farm animals. They are there for food purposes. But sometimes you just can't help it. I had 4-H kids that delivered their animal, raised it by hand and then had to sell it. You can bet those animals were pets and had names. We all want to hear about the Girls. Even if it is not happy news. Chicken Chronicles has to be my favorite thread. And my heart is just fine.
Write a book, add pictures and you can include some recipes for your favorite egg dishes
we will all buy it!
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
I want an autograph copy.
OP
OP
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
I've been thinking about it...you'll be the first to know.
