As I've mentioned before, we are super lucky to have a big backyard, and the Northern Beaches Council encourages its residents to keep chickens for sustainability purposes. That said, we don't live on acreage and roosters are not allowed, so I've been avoiding getting day old chicks for a few years now, but when your daughter asks for baby chickens for her fourth birthday, you try saying no.
To cut a long story short, we have adopted seven baby chicks, of different breeds, and I'm happy to confess that I'm a little lost as to who is what. But they all are beautiful and a lot of fun. We are expecting to get three or four hens out of our flock of babies, and only time will tell who stays, and who will have to go.
Our family favourite (of the baby chick chicks), Moana, is an Aracauna, or at least I think it is. My youngest daughter Olivia has pretty much stolen her big sisters chicken and made it her baby. Moana has always gotten the most cuddles, and as a result she comes to us for cuddles all the time, if she goes a day without a cuddle she leaps into our arms. She is so gentle and calm, and is also the smallest of the flock-possibly from too many cuddles. If this chicken isn't a girl there are going to be three heart-broken lady-farmers on this suburban farmyard. Fingers crossed Moana will start laying beautiful blue eggs for us in a few months, when she joins the big chickens, and our other favourite Betty White.
The second baby chick chick that looks so similar to Moana, yet so different, is Tafiti. I'm hoping it's a Lavender Sussex and that their different appearances are due to breed, not gender. Only time will tell. Tafiti is drawn to shiny things, like my watch and engagement ring, and is the second most boisterous in the flock, after Zebra Z.
Zebra Z is a Plymouth and has attitude, apparently that isn't uncommon for the breed, but the breeder didn't warn me of this, so we are still trying to calm this chick chick down with lots of cuddles-because smothering someone who doesn't like affection is a sure way to cure them, right? This big chick chick is so good at learning routine and predicting our behaviours that my husband has commented on how smart it is.
The chick that always astounds us is Hey Hey, who is named after the crazy chicken in the movie Moana. Our Hey Hey is true to it's name. After her attempt for a cuddle when I was closing the chicken roof the other evening we are all surprised that she is still with us. The girls and I freaked out as Hey Hey squealed and gasped for air with her body in the coop and her head trapped under the lid, we were getting ready to do CPR, and then Hey Hey ran off and gobbled up her dinner like nothing happened. Total Hey Hey swallowing a rock style.
Frizzle is a breed of chicken called a Frizzle, creative I know, but it just seems to fit, and it's easy for us to remember. This tiny little chick is super cute and great for a cuddle. We love the way its feathers flick forwards, we feel a sort of connection with this chick since we all have crazy hair.
I think Priscilla and Mimi are Gold Laced Wyandottes, but I could be wrong. Priscilla has beautiful markings, but isn't that keen on hugs, whilst Mimi's feathers are more of a solid colour, and she will happily let Olivia cuddle her-sometimes with Moana at the same time.
These baby chicks have added a great deal to our little Northern Beaches urban farm, and are teaching my children so much about life. Yes, they make more work for me to do, that I really don't need, but they are also bringing a lot of joy.
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