Quickwitter

Jan 08

EASTER EGGER ROO29 weeks©Laura Quick I had newly hatched chicks when I went past the feed store and they had a kiosk of chicks out front. I was waiting for the hay/feed guy to bring out my order when I decided to splurge on a few chicks as well. I favor Easter Eggers as they look like a hawk-like version of just about anoy other breed, and  they lay colored eggs - blue, green or pink. I’d started chosing chicks when the guy finished loading my car. He came over and chose this chick. It was mostly white and I thought it would grow up to be boring to look at. I also thought it would be a hen, since they were only selling hen chicks. So, not so much.  He’s beautiful, prettier than this photo shows and has a lovely rose comb. All of his dark feathers are iridescent and he has a LOT of color on the rest of his body. I’m curious to see what his progeny will look like, and they will likely lay colored eggs depending on the hen. Sure, he not what I expected, he’s exceeded that already. I was at the feed store today and I thanked the guy who chose him for me.

EASTER EGGER ROO
29 weeks
©Laura Quick

I had newly hatched chicks when I went past the feed store and they had a kiosk of chicks out front. I was waiting for the hay/feed guy to bring out my order when I decided to splurge on a few chicks as well. I favor Easter Eggers as they look like a hawk-like version of just about anoy other breed, and  they lay colored eggs - blue, green or pink.

I’d started chosing chicks when the guy finished loading my car. He came over and chose this chick. It was mostly white and I thought it would grow up to be boring to look at. I also thought it would be a hen, since they were only selling hen chicks. So, not so much. 

He’s beautiful, prettier than this photo shows and has a lovely rose comb. All of his dark feathers are iridescent and he has a LOT of color on the rest of his body. I’m curious to see what his progeny will look like, and they will likely lay colored eggs depending on the hen.

Sure, he not what I expected, he’s exceeded that already. I was at the feed store today and I thanked the guy who chose him for me.

Aug 27

AMERACAUNA PULLET* - 18weeks old©Laura Quick I just love the markings on this bird. And since i”m having a shitty Monday, I thought that I’d let her brighten up my dashboard, the same way she brightens up my yard. I know that my friends think I’m chicken crazy, but I can’t tell you how peaceful and calming it has been having these little teeny-tiny dinosaurs wandering around the place. *Pullet is just the name for a chicken that is not laying eggs yet. When she lays, her eggs will be green/blue or pink. And she sill be a hen. :)

AMERACAUNA PULLET* - 18weeks old
©Laura Quick

I just love the markings on this bird. And since i”m having a shitty Monday, I thought that I’d let her brighten up my dashboard, the same way she brightens up my yard. I know that my friends think I’m chicken crazy, but I can’t tell you how peaceful and calming it has been having these little teeny-tiny dinosaurs wandering around the place.

*Pullet is just the name for a chicken that is not laying eggs yet. When she lays, her eggs will be green/blue or pink. And she sill be a hen. :)

Apr 18

A TOUGH DAY ON THE MICRO-FARM Here’s our Ameracauna hen Orange Blossom, so named by Kevin’s seven year old niece, Ivana. Orange Blossom died today at about 7 months old. Sadly, she wasn’t built properly for egg-laying and there really wasn’t anything that could be done to help her. She laid large, beautiful, blue eggs that were just too big for her body to handle. She was a really beautiful, if somewhat flighty bird. The bird beside her is Mrs. Bossypants, they were raised together and an inseparable pair. Bossypants stayed with her until the end. RIP Orange Blossom, you will be missed. ©Qdesign/Laura Quick

A TOUGH DAY ON THE MICRO-FARM

Here’s our Ameracauna hen Orange Blossom, so named by Kevin’s seven year old niece, Ivana. Orange Blossom died today at about 7 months old. Sadly, she wasn’t built properly for egg-laying and there really wasn’t anything that could be done to help her. She laid large, beautiful, blue eggs that were just too big for her body to handle.

She was a really beautiful, if somewhat flighty bird. The bird beside her is Mrs. Bossypants, they were raised together and an inseparable pair. Bossypants stayed with her until the end. RIP Orange Blossom, you will be missed. ©Qdesign/Laura Quick

Feb 16

This is Smokyback, the hen that started laying blue eggs earlier this week. She’s an “easter egger” mutt, witch some Aracauna DNA which shows up in colored eggs. From the chicken list I learned the following info. The pattern on her feathers is called “duckwing” - I have no idea why. The dark color is melanistic overlay - meaning dark color laying over more the more traditonal light patterning—like a black panther is black over a spotted coat. Oh, and her feathers are irridescent, like an oil slick. Some people are STICKLERS on hen ID - Apparently she’s a lesser specimen because she doesn’t have feathers growing out of her ears. or a beard and muff…for my part I’m excited to see her cool blue eggs. This morning I went in the feed the birds, and heard the distinctive call of a hen laying an egg. I look around and everyone seems to be accounted for and is minding their own business, going about life as usual. I do a quick count and realize that the hen above is “missing”. Since the greenhouse is fully enclosed, I know she’s in here somewhere, but where? I look for a good 5-10 minutes skipping the inverted basket stuck in the corner which I believe that ONLY the quail can get into. Finally I move the basket exposing the squawking hen, who is not at all glad to see me. She waddles off in a huff leaving two eggs - one blue (but cold so not from today) and one brown…which means that two hens have been using spot in the previous 24 hours. As I’m leaving I see her make a beeline for the back corner. 15 minutes later I return, she’s scratching around with her pals. I tip the basket and there’s a beautiful sky blue egg - still warm.

This is Smokyback, the hen that started laying blue eggs earlier this week. She’s an “easter egger” mutt, witch some Aracauna DNA which shows up in colored eggs. From the chicken list I learned the following info.

  1. The pattern on her feathers is called “duckwing” - I have no idea why.
  2. The dark color is melanistic overlay - meaning dark color laying over more the more traditonal light patterning—like a black panther is black over a spotted coat. Oh, and her feathers are irridescent, like an oil slick.
  3. Some people are STICKLERS on hen ID - Apparently she’s a lesser specimen because she doesn’t have feathers growing out of her ears. or a beard and muff…for my part I’m excited to see her cool blue eggs.

This morning I went in the feed the birds, and heard the distinctive call of a hen laying an egg. I look around and everyone seems to be accounted for and is minding their own business, going about life as usual. I do a quick count and realize that the hen above is “missing”. Since the greenhouse is fully enclosed, I know she’s in here somewhere, but where? I look for a good 5-10 minutes skipping the inverted basket stuck in the corner which I believe that ONLY the quail can get into.

Finally I move the basket exposing the squawking hen, who is not at all glad to see me. She waddles off in a huff leaving two eggs - one blue (but cold so not from today) and one brown…which means that two hens have been using spot in the previous 24 hours. As I’m leaving I see her make a beeline for the back corner. 15 minutes later I return, she’s scratching around with her pals. I tip the basket and there’s a beautiful sky blue egg - still warm.

Feb 13

Things that make me happy on a rainy Monday…include: my hens finally starting to lay eggs. The eggs pictured have all been collected since Friday. The brown eggs are from my Buff Brahmas, the blue is from an the prettiest hen I have, a partridge marked Aracauna mix with iridescent black sheen, the white is by request, a store-bought egg for size comparison :) our dog doesn’t have a brain tumor, but she does have a brain (we weren’t sure) and now she’s down two teeth and is miserable, but she’s finally diagnosed and she’s her way back to being healthy the STOOPID account exec I’ve been gritting my teeth to work with with has been reassigned, YEAH! I can finally move the project forward now, since the client and I are have been on the same page from the start and stuck working with this chick who is really CLUELESS when it comes to project management and communication Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and Kevin has offered to make me dinner down on the boat. Yeah! Don’t know where our relationship is going, don’t care, just plan to have fun, and wine. There will be wine…

Things that make me happy on a rainy Monday…include:

  • my hens finally starting to lay eggs. The eggs pictured have all been collected since Friday. The brown eggs are from my Buff Brahmas, the blue is from an the prettiest hen I have, a partridge marked Aracauna mix with iridescent black sheen, the white is by request, a store-bought egg for size comparison :)

  • our dog doesn’t have a brain tumor, but she does have a brain (we weren’t sure) and now she’s down two teeth and is miserable, but she’s finally diagnosed and she’s her way back to being healthy

  • the STOOPID account exec I’ve been gritting my teeth to work with with has been reassigned, YEAH! I can finally move the project forward now, since the client and I are have been on the same page from the start and stuck working with this chick who is really CLUELESS when it comes to project management and communication

  • Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and Kevin has offered to make me dinner down on the boat. Yeah! Don’t know where our relationship is going, don’t care, just plan to have fun, and wine. There will be wine…