"MATT?!?! Can you come downstairs?" I had to scream it three times before he heard me. "I've got a chicken on my back!" He found me bent over at the waist, with Gigi proudly perched on top of me. "How did that happen?" he asked, not expecting an answer. He gently cupped her gray feathers …
Meet Loretta!
The votes were flying in, and we finally have a name for our Black French Copper Marans. Meet Loretta! This name, nominated by Kerry Hamilton Smith, won handily with 26 percent of the votes. Three names tied for second place, each taking 13 percent of the vote: Kentucky F. Chicken, Nellie and Pipsqueak. Great thanks …
Top 10 chick names: The final vote!!
Excitement is in the air. The birds are fluffing their feathers. And one chick in particular is much, much closer to finding her name. Our Black French Copper Marans can't contain her excitement. The competition was fierce, and right down to the wire, but we finally have the final choices of chick names. All the …
The names are in! The polls are open.
My little Black French Copper Marans chick asked for help in finding a name, and you delivered! In 24 hours, we received a total of 25 submissions, ranging from sweet French names to Stephen King horror characters. Here's a roundup of some of the insightful comments we received: Knowing that I'm a huge "Pretty in …
What’s in a name?
We have a little black bird who has a simple request. Will you please give me a name? Our Dominique is called Baby Girl. And the Olive Egger's stage name is Gigi. That leaves the Black French Copper Marans. After discussing this dilemma with Matt, we both agreed that we would let our readers name …
Week three: The name game
Three weeks in, and two of the chicks have names. Sort of. I put this disclaimer on it because Matt claims to have ultimate veto power. I've asked him for his suggestions, and so far he's come up dry. So I've gone ahead and named two of them. I was tiring of calling them by …
Week two: Field trip!
With temperatures above 50 degrees today, we decided to take the chicks on a field trip to see their chicken coop! I packed all three into a cat carrier, and walked them out into the yard. At first they were scared to come out of the carrier, but the bold Olive Egger led the way. …
Discovering the crop
Last night, I gently moved my finger toward a chick and stroked her chest. This in itself was a victory, as the chicks usually run peeping, away from my hands. But as I touched the chick, I felt a lump. My stomach dropped. I gently picked her up, and palpated. Did she have a tumor? …
Week one: Tail feathers!
It's amazing how much the chicks have grown in just seven days. They have gone from egg-sized balls of fluff, to having almost fully feathered wings and the beginning of teeny tail feathers. They now stand from 4-1/2 to 5 inches tall and have been testing their wings by taking mini-flights inside the brooder. And …
Homecoming!
The babies are home! After spending the weekend in Cleveland (most of it holed up in a hotel room because poor Matt is awfully sick) we got up early this morning to pick up the chicks. While we were finishing breakfast at the hotel, I received a cheerful call that the chicks were ready and …
Chicken Scratch Fever 