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.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
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.
Darlene Cuthie
check this out!
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwisqZyA69zNAhWMApoKHfsoAXAQjhwIBQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F383298618260462498%2F&psig=AFQjCNGQrvyB_rSo2WlpzJ24e51mEPmJLQ&ust=1467825680698705
Linda in Illinois
knowing nothing about chickens, how do you bring a strange chicken into a family of three that already know each other, and how do they get along, do chickens need to have space to get to know each other and what will you do if the three don't accept Sweetie? Isn't Josephine protective of the baby chicks when Sweetie comes along?
Karen
Hi Linda. Josephine is protective of her chicks with allll the chickens in the coop. Not just Sweetie. :) It's much easier to integrate a chicken when you bring two into the flock because they have each other to lean on and there are two of them being picked on, not just one constantly. So it has been a bit of a struggle to integrate Sweetie, but it's coming along. Basically you bring them into the coop area but keep them separated with hardware cloth or chicken wire so everyone can see everyone else and get accustomed to them for a week or so then you let them be together for a few minutes at a time until you're sure they're going to just fight a little bit, as opposed to kill each other. ~ karen!
Eva Rudner
Hi! I love reading about your chickens! (Brave soul :) In case you haven't been to a chicken show (over at least 50 breeds present), I highly recommend it. I marveled at how many different breeds there are! They are so beautiful, smart enough to get in so much trouble & stupid enough to do it! Best wishes & thanks for sharing your adventures!
Karen
I have been to a chicken show Eva. :) Well kind of. Fall fairs that have chicken competitions, so there are a fair amount of chickens but nothing too exotic. They're fun! I'm hoping to get to another one this summer actually with a really big variety of chickens. :) ~ karen!
Heather (mtl)
Oh, she's gorgeous! So happy you found yourself a cuddler - oh so important!
Can't wait to hear more from The Escapades of Mlle. Sweetness.
BTW, are the blue eggs the same size as the white or brown ones?
FarmKid Marti
Ok, so now that I have recovered from the radio story on bird sperm (and duck penises) that I heard this weekend, you tell me that your new chicken is suicidal?
OF COURSE I KNOW WHAT SPATCHCOCKED IS.
It means she wants to come visit me on Sunday. At dinner time.
Are you going to start breeding them, because those lavender chickens are gorgeous!
But I think you'd have to sell the house you have now built to your specifications and go live in the country... where instead of "the Crazy Cat Lady" you'd be "The Ape S#!T Chicken Woman," right?
And I say go for it!
MaggieB
Gosh Karen - Sweetie is be-you-tea-full! Love that first shot - such a red carpet pose in her evening gown!! All she needs is a tiara - so totally Audrey Hepburn. Presumably she is getting on okay with the girls now. How old will she be before she starts laying? And how on earth did she manage to get behind the coop? Lucky for you then that the skunks and raccoons don't seem to be too smart. And finally, last question - as you have so little to do with your days (guffaw) with Sweetie's heritage could you show her as well? And what would be her Kennel Name equivalent?
karen tomlinson
Loved that post and love Sweetie - although my heart will always be with Cuddles.
Thank you for the many laughs you provide me. You need your own show - would be like
Martha Stewart - except with heart, soul and lots of laughs. Ok - it wouldn't at all be like Martha
Stewart. But it would be fantastic - and I think we need to start the campaign soon.
KT in Los Gatos, Ca
Karen
Thanks Karen. But nope. No more shows for me. :) Blogging is WAY more fun and interesting. Have you ever actually met a television executive, lol? ~ karen!
Grammy
“...like most cute things on this earth, she is made up of 25% cute, 74% rabid, freakish, devil-monster and 1% clown.”
This describes my grandson, but being a seven-year-old boy and not a chicken, his percentages are 35% cute, 55% monster, 10% clown. Having been a den mother when my son was a cub scout almost 45 years ago, my recollection is that it's a fairly consistent ratio for most little boys. The cute and the clown are what keep them all alive until they achieve something akin to adulthood (in my experience, the male of our species never actually achieves adulthood).
"Sweetie" is what I call my husband. He's a cuddler, too, so he gets to stay here, despite continuing the cute/monster/clown thing into old age. He and the grandson are a perfect match. I have no time for chickens, so I enjoy yours.
Leslie
I love your chicken posts and can't wait to see the babies. You should check out this link https://www.pikeroadsouthern.com/. They have a tee shirt with a chicken on it that reads 'Keep Calm & Keep Chickens". It reminded me of you...although 'calm' may sometimes be a stretch (grin). If you are half way interested in the shirt they are only accepting pre-order until Friday. Hoping to hear more chicken stories this week and cute little fuzzy chicks.
Stephanie
Karen, I didn't know you knew my 14 year old daughter! You described her to a T - but more like 5% clown (which causes me to forgive her more easily when that devil comes out).
Nancy Blue Moon
She is very pretty...But...I thought I was your sweetie... :-(
Jody
How have you kept this a secret for so long??? Do the other chickens get worried when you head off in the car wondering what /who you'll you be bringing home? I think Sweetie could also be AKA Martha Stewart with the ankle bracelet.
Sandy
Oh we can beat that...our family went out one day and bought a new car...and...our first boat, a 28 footer. That was a day we all remember. Didn't really plan on purchasing both...but enjoyed them both over the years.
Jackie
OMG!!!! She's just beautiful. Can't wait to hear all her stories.
Sandy Zelinsky
Went to replace dead car battery, traded in 2 vehicles, one in parked in Canada until mid-August, the other in the service bay & drove away in new 2016 CRV. Just gotta say "God Bless America"...and what a beautiful chicken Sweetie is!!
Mary W
She is the first chicken I've seen that doesn't appear to frown and give you the stink eye. Is it because her nose/beak seems to stretch further up on her head thereby removing the offending eyebrows? Sweetie's story is telling us what a perfect fit she is for your home. Can you give fake eggs to the other broody so she won't feel so weird? From this story, it seems you may be letting a few roosters develop. From my experience (limited) the little roosters have a pecking order and the top cock develops and the others lay low. Then if the top cock gets gone, the next in line develops and so on, until there is only one left. A remarkable system but it happened to me, I mean my chickens. So you should be able to get one that will then produce purple. I would name it Prince of course.
Ev Wilcox
Congrats on obtaining a diva chicken! Two years ago I went out looking for a used Wrangler and ended up buying a new Wrangler Willis for $$$!, totally not meaning to. A diva chicken would have been a lot cheaper! She is very pretty-many happy hugs to you both!
Mike
While we in the United States are observing Independence Day, you, Karen, will be observing Sweetie to make sure she doesn't jump up and down on the heads of Josephine and Mabel. If she does, it will be In-da-pen-dance Day in Canada. (Okay, so technically it's a coop, but that's crappy fodder for the joke.)
Good luck!
Ev Wilcox
well said!
Karen
HA! Very clever. ~ karen!
marilyn
crazy cat ladies pale in comparison my friend..
Julie
No one can replace Cuddles, but I sure am glad you found Sweetie to help fill the hole in your heart and the space on your empty lap. Welcome, Sweetie!
Ev Wilcox
My thoughts exactly!
Grammy
Thanks to Julie for saying so well what I (obviously, many of us) thought. You and Sweetie sound like a good team.