Integrating backyard chickens can be a bit unsettling for all involved. But I had to come home with this Sweetie, a beautiful black Ameraucana when I saw her. Look at that face. Here's how the first week went.
Name - Sweetie
DOB - February 29th, 2016
Breed - Ameraucana
Nickname - OHMYGODWHATAREYOUDOING??!!!
A few weeks ago when I went to pick up some fertilized eggs from chicken breeder Barb Dodington I picked up something else. Sweetie.
And Sweetie's been trying to kill herself ever since. More on that in a moment.
The day I went to pick up my fertilized Olive Egger eggs I had no idea what I was walking into. It was barn after barn of chickens. Some of them were romping through the yard, some of them in coops, some of them in cages ... all of it carefully planned out according to breeding, hatching and playing.
I suspect there was also some sort of magic going on because I had my mind pretty much made up as I drove there. I wasn't coming home with a chicken. Was NOT. Only eggs.
I came home with a chicken.
And 3 more eggs than I meant to.
As an actual farmer I'd be a total failure. I'd keep every chick, goat, horse, cow, worm, snail, or spider born. I would keep no centipedes. All centipedes would die from the globally accepted form of centipede murder ... a shoe to the head. Funeral proceedings would follow, which consist of picking up the now deceased, yet still writhing centipede, with half a roll of toilet paper with your arm stretched out as far as possible in front of you while making gagging sounds and hyperventilating just a little bit as you flush it's still jerking legs down the toilet.
The Lineage and Genes
Black Split for lavender - this means even though Sweetie is black, she has the gene for lavender in her and if I were to breed her with a lavender rooster there would be a 50/50 chance she'd produce lavender chicks. If I bred her with a black rooster with the lavender gene, there'd be a 25% chance she'd produce lavender chicks.
She has a pure black grandfather that came from Tom Kernan in New Jersey, who breeds championship Ameraucanas.
Her grandfather was Champion AOSB at the Clinton Fair in 2016.
Her lavender roots come from Clif Redden in Kansas, current Ameraucana Breeders Club president
So Sweetie's lineage is far more refined than my own. I come from the hardy stock of swingers and boozers.
I would have come home with a Silkie as well but luckily Barb saw me sneaking out with one on my head like a hat and told me I couldn't have it. Apparently they weren't old enough, or sexed yet or for sale, or blah, blah, blah. Whatever.
So all I made it out with, was Sweetie.
And 8 fertilized eggs of course.
The eggs didn't need to be integrated much. Really, I just stuck them under one of my broody hens and waited for them to hatch. Which they did and became what's commonly known as the cutest thing in the world ... baby chicks.
You can learn how to get fertilized eggs and hatch them under a broody hen here.
Sweetie however, needed to be integrated with the other chickens.
Sweetie will also be known as chicken 416 as per her ankle bracelet because she's official. And possibly under house arrest.
The second I got her home I knew Sweetie was the cutest thing in the world. And like most cute things on this earth, she is made up of 25% cute, 74% rabid, freakish, devil-monster and 1% clown.
Within the first week Sweetie had jumped up and down on top of Josephine as she sat on her eggs, jumped up and down on Mabel as she sat on her *imaginary* eggs (Mabel is broody too), She also got stuck in the 3" wide space between the coop hardware cloth and my fence, flattened like a pancake. If you're familiar with cooking terms she looked like a spatchcock.
In my moment of panic I tried to heave and move the chicken coop. The entire thing. Like I thought I was a tractor. So, no, that didn't work.
Instead I had to run around looking for a pair of wire cutters to literally cut her out of the spot, stick my hand under her and let her drop into it.
Now I have to repair that entire side of my coop so raccoons and skunks don't get in to finish the job of killing herself that Sweetie started.
Look at her. Just look at her. That is the look of chicken remorse with a touch of ... but look how cute I am ... sucker.
So yes. I just went out for some eggs and came home with all this. Story of my life. Once I went out for a snow shovel and came home with a car. True story.
And you know what? She's Cuddly.
Post Update: Sweetie has since died. Here's how, what from, and how to spot it in one of your own chickens.
I determined what killed her by doing a necropsy, which is just another term for an autopsy. Yes it was awful to do, but if you want to know what killed your chicken and to help make sure it wasn't something contagious, a necropsy can be a smart thing to do.
Here's my post on performing a chicken necropsy.
Pam'a
On top of everything else, in the second photo (the first one where she's standing up), she looks like she has her feet on backwards. Probably a born centipede stomper! Have fun with her.
Terry Montague
The best chicken we ever had belongs to our neighbors. She, the chicken, comes up to our fence every morning and makes a purring noise, or maybe she's clearing her throat. How can you ignore talent like that? Our little girls call her "the cluck-cluck". So, now we have a bag of chicken food next to the fence.
Kristy
She's beautiful. I have one like her. Won't eat the mealworms off the ground, only out of my hand, but only if I am not looking at her. The others ignore her because she's more beautiful than they are.
P.S. I have to share - my duck - Howard the Duck - laid eggs today! My first eggs! Howard turned out to be a girl... I only just came to this conclusion 5 days ago and BOOM! Eggs!
Kathy Hartzell
Capi went out for ice cream and came home with a new car.....is that funnier than us going out for garden lights and coming home with a new car? I think a chicken and a few extra fertilized eggs would have been more practical.
Paula
Aww, congratulations she is lovely! My chicken, Poppy's wing injury was caused in much the same way as Sweetie's antics.
Please share how you successfully integrated her with your other chickens?
Capi
If we went out for ice cream cones once and came home with a new car, does that beat a snow shovel?
janni
Ha! It sounds like you got the equivalent of what Arabians are in the horse world! After owning several horses growing up, I still yearned for an Arab. I always thought (and still do) they are the most beautiful breed. My sister always said "Go to any barn, stable, ask what what horse is the biggest pain in the ass, it will be an Arab!" Well, I bought one anyway. I broke her myself. She lived in my 3 acre front yard for 23 years. Hard to handle, accident prone but beauty in motion. I miss her everyday! I have no doubt you will enjoy your little problematic rebel. She's just be a blessing in disguise!
Karen
Arabians ARE beautiful and yup, nuts, lol. HIGH strung but such pretty gaits. Sweetie is far more clumsy than that, lol. ~ karen!
Kathleen
This - "I come from the hearty stock of swingers and boozers." almost made me snort coffee through my nose!
She is a beauty, your Cutie.
I'm afraid our dogs would eat the chickens, but your posts are bring back very fond childhood memories of when my parents kept chickens and ducks. Thank you for that.
What a lovely way to start my week.
Kat
She is by far the strangest looking chicken I have ever seen! But I haven't really seen all that many. Why doesn't she have a comb or flappy things on her head? If she is young will she grow some? She just looks bald or something I can't explain because I do not know a damn thing about chickens unless you have wrote about it.
Karen
Ameraucanas don't generally have combs or wattles. Actually they can have a small comb, very small and that might happen with her. But generally no wattles. They usually have "muffs and beards". Those are the fluffy feathers around her face. And trust me, she is FAR from the strangest looking chicken out there, lol. I know, because I plan on getting them all. ;) ~ karen!
Kat
Well she looks hilarious and I think she is going to be my new favorite chicken of yours.
Shirley
she hasn't got the usual accutrements that chickens come with! Things like combs and wattles! I have to say she did make me blink trying to figure that one out! I can't decide if the lack is a good thing or not.
P.S. Your fluff balls (aka baby chicks) are the sweetest things ever!
P.P.S. There is usually nothing left to dispose of when I find a centipede as I spend significant time tap dancing on them!
j
I'm happy for you that you're happy-my kids have fur-so I don't quite get the feathers on kids thing,,,
So what does a LAVENDER CHICKEN look like?? And when do we get to see the snuggle ability of this particular chicken?
Tigersmom
So glad you have a cuddly girl.
Edith
Oh, she's beautiful. Aristocratic. Refined. Hi maintenance!
Judy DeLacy
Oh Sweetie is adorable, that's for sure. But she's got that mischievous look about her. I'm looking forward to reading many stories about her zany behavior.
BTW, I received a notice over a week ago that the chicken swing has shipped. Maybe Sweetie will become an acrobatic chick. :-)
Regards,
Judy
Jan
She isssss pretty, but, unfortunately for you, she knows it.
She will be a PIA!
Anne
Really, a shoe to the head!? Sweetie would be more than happy to have a juicy centipede for breakfast/dinner. My 18 mo. old daughter would walk around the yard with the chicken(s) and chicks following her as she lifted every rock, log or what have you, so the chickens could have a feast of 'bugs'.
Dale
While my daughter raised two hens in our back yard, earwigs were nearly extinct from the lightening fast peck-peck. They would grab up every earwig in sight. Now, with no chickens, I have earwigs invading my milkweed buds.
Have fun with Sweetie!!
PS We had our first Monarch floating around our milkweed plantation.
Peggy G
My niece had a cat named Sweetie who was kind of crazy too. Crazy in that she would run up and attack people who came over to feed her when her people were out of town. People being me wearing shorts and her with claws out and my bare legs in sight. I had to carry a rolled up newspaper with me everytime I went in her house. And I'm the aunt that likes cats. Sweetie the cat didn't have grand genes though. You can't blame craziness just on fancy genes.
Kirsten
Omg, my insomnia has made me first??? Sweetie is definitely a beauty, and as with all beautiful women expect some difficulties.
Congrats!!!
Kirsten
Oh, not first.... :(
Karen
LOL. Close though! ~ karen
robert
She looks more like a falcon or an eagle than a chicken. Obviously now you make me want to have one so I might need to stop reading your post about chickens or I might indeed end with dead chickens because of my inability to actually care about them after a while
Lois
That is EXACTLY how I feel!
Michelle
Just awesome. You made me snot. Because you are spot on in your description of all cuties on earth. Mine are adorable but spend most of their time trying to self destruct or kill each other. It takes all my energy to keep them upright and breathing. Your chickens are glossy and gorgeous! Your good care is apparent.