Greetings all you lovely readers out there! Hope you are all swell. Ready for more chicken fun? Great! The next three posts will be dedicated to getting to know each chicken breed in my mini flock, specifically which breeds they are and their individual characteristics. Cool, right? I know! So first up we have Birdsbun, Clucky, and Caterpillar. I'm lumping them together because they are all of the same breed, which is BLACK AUSTRALORP. Sounds fancy, doesn't it? They are probably the fanciest breed we have.
Here is a picture of me talking to one of our blacks. I believe this one is Clucky. Every night I go out to the coop and hold each bird individually for a few minutes, and we have a nice chat. Evelyn, my oldest child happened to be assisting me the night these pictures were taken. But in all honesty, I prefer to do the routine alone. It's important bonding time for the hens and I. The kids have plenty of time to squish the chickens with their love during the daytime. Evening visits are sanctuary time for the pullets (fancy word for hens that are not quite grown up yet).
This is what the black australorps will look like once they are fully grown. That will be around their 5 month birthday, in early August. Aren't they wonderfully fat and glossy black? I would use one as a pillow if she would allow such nonsense. My girls don't really take well to any shenanigans. They're pretty serious for chickens. Sometimes I envision them wearing tiny pairs of reading glasses with a chain attached and wound round their necks, like fluffy bird librarians.
Here is a picture of a black australorp egg with a quarter on top so you can get a better idea of their size. Aren't they adorable? So adorable I want to cradle it in my hands and coo at it like a lunatic. Is there such a thing as too much info when you're blogging? Yeah, I figured as much. Moving on...
Gah! Mine used to be this small! They're only 8 weeks old now and they've turned into MONSTERS, comparatively speaking.
So I've read on "The Google" that "they are one of the best layers of light brown eggs of all the heavy breeds. A flock of Black Australorps with their glossy black plumage, which has a greenish-purple sheen, and their larger than average bright red combs make an unusually handsome sight. They are big birds, hens weighing 5 to 7 pounds. They have a pinkish white skin and plump bodies which dress out nicely once the birds have their final plumage."
They sure are glossy, and they're already starting to get the greenish-purple sheen, too. *sigh* I love them. I swear I look out the window ninety two times per day just to see them hanging out around their coop. If I'm home all day I let them out to wander the yard. They prefer to hang out in the wooded areas of our property, not too far from the coop. They like to be close to their house.
To close, here is a link to a website that was instrumental in helping me decide on the breeds to choose for our mini flock. This link will take you to the Australorp page specifically.
You're welcome.
I'll follow up soon with a post about the mystical RHODE ISLAND RED! I really should try to stop shouting things at you guys. I just get so excited. Anyhoo, here is your latest and greatest fun fact about chickens. Until next time, friends.
America eats 8 billion chickens a year.
Gah!
XO
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