My Flock

Mom and I raised Cochin bantam chickens 45 or more years ago and recently I've started to put together a small flock for the memories they bring back.  Their docile, friendly little chickens with heavily feathered legs and feet. Although they lay a small egg they are mostly "lawn ornaments".  I've went to several poultry swaps and even a poultry show and found several breeders in my area from searches on the internet.  Although I have no desire to show birds, breeders who do show often have birds with minor flaws that only a "chicken expert" could see and they sell these birds to make room for more potential show birds.

This is Otis my main rooster. Black with just a few white feathers showing on his chest he is what is know as a lightly "mottled" rooster.

Ivory is a mottled hen.

Oprah and Ebony are my black hens. If your wondering I can tell them apart by the size and shape of their combs.

While I like the black and mottled colored birds, my wife likes the red variety and we were able to buy a pair.

This is Walter, a young red rooster sitting on my knee enjoying a snack.

And this is his hen Rebecca or Becky.

 

 

The dogs quickly made friends with them and know they are now part of the "family".

 



To me at least these birds have a therapeutic value. Nothing is as calming as sitting in a lawn chair as the sun sinks behind the trees and watch these little chickens graze in the lawn looking for unlucky bugs, listening to their soft clucks and thinking about a time long ago.