Aug 21st
Violet is looking like a chicken beauty-queen these days. I don’t think the girls really look like full-grown chickens until they get their combs and wattles. Wattles are those red thingies on chicken faces. Violet has a “single comb”. There are actually seven types of combs and some are extremely weird.
Violet is an Australorp which is one of the Heritage breeds. This is her description given by www.mypetchicken.com :
Australorps are the Australian take on the Orpington breed. They are calm and friendly, and excellent layers of light brown eggs. The Australorp’s exceptionally soft, shiny black plumage has hints of green and purple in the sunlight. Peaceful and dignified, Australorps are an absolutely delightful bird which we highly recommend to anyone who wants a pet chicken that lays dependably.
Yep, this is my Violet to a T. I took a photo of her recently in all her chicken glory. Isn’t she an astonishingly beautiful creature?
Click on me to enlarge for greater admiration.
You might be asking, “What exactly is a heritage breed chicken?” (OK, I’ll tell you even if you didn’t ask.) This term refers to the breeds that are a true genetic breed with an established and continuously breeding population since 1925 and that can naturally mate. Animals used for food & eggs have been bred into Frankenstein versions of themselves for the convenience of the industrialized food system. The chickens that lay “grocery store” eggs are breeds that would never naturally occur in nature. They are incapable of breeding the old-fashioned way and they live short, sad lives. Folks interested in sustainable food sources and humanely treated animals look for a heritage breed for meat, eggs and pets. You can find eggs from heritage chickens at your local farmer’s market, or you can just get on Debbie’s Egg List and I’ll make sure you get our surplus. When the girls start laying, (about two weeks) we will happily provide eggs to anyone who asks. We won’t sell them because technically we’d have a commercial business in our back yard and this is prohibited by our neighborhood bylaws. Rowdy tried out the nest box today to see if it would be comfortable enough for egg-laying.
Pretty Comfy!
Did I get off the topic of Violet’s Vitals a bit? Sorry. This is a subject very near to my heart. By the way, Violet is waiting for your answer…
Astonishingly beautiful or WHAT?!?
She looks like a Muppet in that last shot. Love it.
She does! I remember that chicken muppet! Maybe I should take her to Hollywood for a screen test.