Nana's experiences with her Backyard Chicken flock and a Crossed Beaked chicken named Cha Cha.

Meet My Flock

The decision to add a flock of chickens to our family was easy, the hard part was deciding which breeds of chickens to add. I knew I wanted standard size chickens that were known for having docile temperaments and preferably female.  Since we have plenty of hawks, fox, and other chicken predators, these chickens would have to be able to be confined in a run during the day. After months of researching, I chose to purchase 12 chickens from 5 different breeds.  Luckily, I received all females (pullets), although a few kept me wondering for weeks.

The girls are of laying age now and are providing our family and friends with at least 5 dozen eggs a week during their first winter.  The photos shown were at 39 weeks old.

Enjoy your visit with Nana's Chickens.

Buff Brahma

"A breed developed in the United States from chickens that supposedly originated in India's Brahmaputra River valley. It is one of the largest breeds but also has a bantam version. The Brahma has a pea comb and feathered legs and comes in a few color varieties. The hens lay brown-shelled eggs and brood easily." The Chicken Encyclopedia by Gail Damerow
Partridge Cochin

"A chicken originating in Asia as a large meat breed and developed in England as an ornamental breed.  The name Cochin comes from its place of origin, the Cochinchina region of southern Vietnam. The loose feathering, combined with a puffy tail, feathered legs, and an abundance of down, gives these chickens the appearance of being spherical and also makes them winter hardy. Cochins have a single comb, come in numerous color varieties, and may be either large or bantam. The hens lay eggs with brown shells and easily go broody." The Chicken Encyclopedia by Gail Damerow

                                                                                         
Buff Orpington

"A dual purpose breed developed in England and named after the town of Orpington in Kent. Orpingtons have a single comb, may be large or bantam and come in a few solid color varieties, of which buff is the most common. This hefty breed is loosely feathered, making it cold hardy and giving it the appearance of being more massive than it actually is. The hens are good layers of eggs with brown shells, tend to go broody, and make good mothers." The Chicken Encyclopedia by Gail Damerow
                                                        

Blue and Splash Orpington
See Orpington description above.

Click here for more photos and information about my Blue and Splash Orpingtons

Easter Eggers

"Chickens with Araucana or Ameraucana blood but lacking the standard conformation or color varieties of either breed. They are called Easter Egger chickens because they produce eggs with a variety of pretty shell colors ranging in shade from green to greenish blue, from brown to pinkish and from white to pale yellow or gray."  The Chicken Encyclopedia by Gail Damerow

 Olive Eggers

The description for the Olive Egger is much the same as the Easter Egger. This Olive Egger is a "hybrid" and not a breed. The difference is in the color of the eggs and the breeds of chickens used to produce a olive egg. 

Click here for more photos and information on my Olive Eggers
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