Growing and Crowing

Ameraucanas: Wheaten Ranger with Sophie and Ophelia (Opie) @ 15 weeks.

Blue Wheaten Mia @ 10 weeks. She is just perfect....

Marans: Toby, the best Black Copper cockerel @ 12 weeks.

Marans: Bleu, Blue Copper pullet @ 17 weeks.

Welsummer: Jax, Welsummer cockerel @ 12 weeks. Jax escaped his pen today and when I caught him and picked him up his eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted for a minute. The chicks raised by the broodies are not used to being handled like the ones I've hatched in the bator. Don't worry Jax, you are my only roo for seven Welsummer ladies... I call you stud...not supper!

Welsummer: pullet @ 16 weeks. She is either Josie, Jessie, Jaci, Juno, Jenna ...you see where I'm going...

The Wellie girls are all J's. I need to band them so I can tell them apart. They all look alike, which is where we want to get to with the Marans and the W/BW/S Ameraucanas.

These are the chicks hatched in August and September. I'm concentrating on 4 breeds: Buff Orpingtons (friendly and sweet, they lay a pinkish brown egg). Welsummers (beautiful partridge coloring, they lay a dark terra-cotta egg). Blue/Black Copper Marans (known for their dark, almost chocolate colored egg). Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Ameraucana (awesomely friendly, they lay a sky blue egg).

I'm enjoying watching them grow tremendously. The Marans and Ameraucanas are in the developmental stage, so I'll be selectively breeding them for color and conformation, as well as egg color.

Meanwhile, the original Buff Orp's continue to be the best pets ever...they follow me around, "help" with the gardening, and continue to provide us with much joy and amusement.