Last week we said goodbye to our dear odd-one-out Stumpy. Don’t worry he didn’t die!!
It became pretty clear that Stumpy was in fact a rooster. Our chicken expert/farm liaison/aged manure supplier/blueberry provider Becky believes that most likely we ended up with the “Fancy” extra chick McMurry’s throws in when you get a large order. We still aren’t a hundred percent sure what breed he is though some people on the Connecticut Poultry Swap Facebook Group thought he might be a Golden Laced Wyandotte.
A little before and after in case you forgot how utterly horrible Stumpy looked in the beginning.
Thursday morning I crept in like a still slightly sleepy and not very coordinated ninja, caught Stumpy and (gently) stuffed him in a cat carrier for his ride to Green Acres Farm. I’m getting better at the whole catching chickens thing but I still sometimes feel like some Three Stooges music and sound effects should be happening in the background.
Several hours (and two cases of colic narrowly avoided-long story) later I had my new Americana hen in the cat carrier with me. Of course (because why can’t life be simple) I had to stop at Tractor and Supply to get more chicken food and netting for the blueberries (update on them soon!). I wasn’t about to leave Newbie in the car in the 90 degree heat so I brought her in with me. Yes, I was that lady in Tractor and Supply with a hen in a cat carrier toting around a 50 bag of chicken food and a 7 foot tall roll of netting. Weirder things have happened in Tractor Supply I’m sure.
To be honest, I’m not entirely sure which is Newbie. She just blends in so well!
I got home and unceremoniously dumped Newbie in the with the other hens. I’ve read that you should introduce them slowly but since they are from the same litter that made the harrowing journey from Ohio smooshed together in a box I was hoping they would be kind to each other, and they were. Everyone is happy and healthy. Poor Newbie got a bit of a downgrade, from total free range to a caged in range but she isn’t complaining too loudly. When I left the farm Stumpy looked a bit dazed and confused. He had not ventured to the outside yet but Becky said in a couple days he will fit right in like he’s always been there.
He looks a bit confused. How? Where? Why? Huh?
Verdict is still out on Chicken Parm. But I’m thinking we may have a hen. She is still very friendly, precocious and curious but her legs aren’t thick like Stumpy’s and her tale isn’t curling downward. We shall see! They are about 2 1/2 months old.
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