Thursday, August 23, 2012

Oh, Henrietta! Rural Thursday

The first year I blogged, I used to do regular chicken updates.  It's been ages since I've done one, so I think I'm overdue.

After the big raccoon slaughter last summer, we have had 5 layers and one rooster.  But we just got in an order of chicks.  They are meat birds, and we'll be keeping half of them and a friend has claim on the other half.

This is our mystery chick.  We are hoping for someone that will be a good layer.  We could use another layer.

This is Black Betty.  She is one that we raised under a broody hen last summer, from our own eggs.  She's a mean little thing.  Just look at her staring down the camera.  Waiting for a chance to get in a good peck I suspect.

And this is one of our sweetest hens.  She's one of the original batch of chicks we got 2 1/2 years ago. Her name is Henrietta.  Oh dear.  Henrietta appears to have found a pot that is too small.  I think she needs me to go buy the next size up...
 
I will not make muffin top comments.  I will not make muffin top comments.  I will not make muffin top comments.

It's Rural Thursday!  Time to link up your stories and pictures from the rural life with Nancy from A Rural Journal and myself.  Just grab the code below the button, and paste it into your blog post.  Then come back and add your link to the linky.  Please be sure to visit the blogs of 5 other participants, and leave them some comment love.  I can't wait to see what you write!




54 comments:

Grandma Bonnie said...

Oh dear, now I miss my hens. We had to sell all my laying hens last year when I was away and could not care for them. I had over 40 laying hens and a couple roosters. I bet Henrietta would make a good pet.

The Cranky said...

What breed is Henrietta? She looks like a Buff Orpington! Do you just want good layers or would you like good setters as well?

Ummm, can you tell I like chickens? =)

Mary said...

Hahhaaah..cute. Ok how sweet is that to have all those new chick!

Tweedles -- that's me said...

tee hee hee'
the chicky in that flower pot is so cute!

love
tweedles

Barbara said...

The muffin top had me laughing!

Brian King said...

haha! Black Betty has crazy eyes! I've never seen a chicken use a pot to lay in...that's funny! She does look like a sweet hen.

Anonymous said...

What a cute post. Henrietta made me smile!

Unknown said...

I think I could look at those little chicks for hours.

andy said...

Love the chicken in the pot picture! !!!

jp@A Green Ridge said...

So glad you didn't pick on Henrietta...she's entitled to have a few feathers hanging over...living with "that other rooster" you had!!! Little Black Betty will be boss someday!...:)JP

Buttons Thoughts said...

Muffin top comments would work:) Great shots I am glad you are back in chicken land again. B

Liz Mays said...

She's a silly plumpy girl, that Henrietta. But yeah, Black Betty is scary!

carol l mckenna said...

wonderful post! Love the little chick and Henrietta looks like a scamp ~ wishing you the best with your new chicks ~ Great photos ~ (A Creative Harbor)

ps ~ thanks for hosting ^_^

Candy C. said...

Cute picture of Miss Henrietta! :)
Black Betty does look rather mean and that "hairdo" doesn't help! LOL!!

w said...

henrietta is sweet. i want to squeeze her. also.

where. is. elvis.

I Am Woody said...

Confession: I am scared of chickens. I used to help my Gramma gather eggs as a kid. I was scared to death! I just knew those chickens were going to get mad as me taking their eggs and peck me til I was unrecognizable. As an adult, those beady little eyes....well, they're scary! LOL!

An Apel a Day said...

Henrietta just looks sweet. I do like all the speckles Black Betty has.

Brandi said...

Ha! I may take offense to the muffin top reference...I've been eating too many muffins these days myself :) Beautiful birds!

Cuby said...

!Henrietta will never be a casserole, how could you eat your friend?! A pettier lady you will never find.

TexWisGirl said...

i like your sweet hen! the evil one looks a bit intense. :)

Vores have said...

Nice pictures you show.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Hanne Bente

Anonymous said...

Black Betty's stare is a tad bit intimidating! :)

Jill said...

Love your chicken update. Muffin top! haha! I wouldn't want to meet Betty in a dark ally...no way..no how!

Tina Fariss Barbour said...

Henrietta is beautiful! Black Betty . . . she looks stern. Love the baby chicks. I would probably get too attached to them.

Anonymous said...

So funny about the muffin top comments ;)...my friend is raising layers for the first time and it is an adventure.

Sally said...

Love the chicken in the pot; but I will not say chicken pot pie. :)

Leovi said...

I like those photos with great tenderness in the chick.

Gail Dixon said...

Your muffin top comment is too cute. At the risk of sounding completely stupid: what's a layer?

Gail Dixon said...

Nevermind! I just realized you must mean a layer, as in laying eggs! Duh! lol

EG CameraGirl said...

Chickens sure do have a variety of personalities. Black Betty does indeed look mean spirited and Henrietta a bit confused about how big she really is. :)

Sandy said...

I miss having chickens. Maybe soon I will take on the project of building a chicken coop.

Anonymous said...

Love the chicken in a too small pot!
Black Betty looks a bit demented.

Amy Burzese said...

What a special little chick. And Henrietta looks very sofisticated sitting on that pot.

shirley said...

Muffin top - hilarious!
One of my neighbors used to raise chickens - mainly for the eggs. Those were the best eggs ever...

renae said...

ok - hilarious about the 'muffin top' chicken in the pot. that is soooooooo funny!

Boost on the 'fence quail' is definitely nice. I just still can't believe I got the pic in the first place.

Angela said...

I love seeing chickens! They put a smile on my face every time. Your hen made me laugh out loud in that small pot. They can do the silliest things! lol

Katie said...

Love your chicken update. Do you slaughter your own meat chickens? I have a friend who just slaughtered 180 chickens and I bought 12 from her. Can't wait to be cooking them up soon.

Nancy said...

Henrietta is such a pretty hen -- mine are all fairly scraggly looking at the moment. :)

Anonymous said...

Lisa,

Thanks for coming by. I love your hens, especially Henrietta in that pot. Very cute.

Yael from Home Garden Diggers

Anonymous said...

Too cute... chick in a pot!

Unknown said...

[ muffin top! ]

Eat To Live said...

LOL glad you didn't make a muffin top comment.

Debby@Just Breathe said...

The chicks are adorable. I just had to laugh at Black Betty, her face is too cute!

Bettey said...

Hi Fellow Photo Meme participant, Just a quick note to let you know that starting tomorrow, I will begin hosting a new photo meme on my blog. Please come join me at "Orange You Glad It's Friday", and post a photo displaying a little or a lot of orange, my favorite color! Hope to see you there!

Thistle Cove Farm said...

This was too funny...Black Betty indeed! Some of those hens look like they have too much fluff for the perch they've chosen -smile-.
I'm so grateful others have chickens...so I don't have to -LOL-.

Anonymous said...

This post made me smile and before I read it, I was actually thinking "muffin top" :)

tiarastantrums said...

look at all those chicks!! So jealous!! Love the hen in the pot! haha

Tweedles -- that's me said...

the chickie in the flower pot- we like.
love
tweedles

BlueShell said...

magnificent!!!
Love
BShell

Karen Lakis said...

Hahahaha, such personalities on these chickens - nicely captured. I think I'm a little afraid of that mean one. Thanks for starting my day with a chuckle!

Sonya @ Under the Desert Sky said...

A chicken post! Livie and I have missed reading about (and seeing photos of) your chickens!

Lmkazmierczak said...

Enjoyed your chicken post...We get (live) baby chicks all boxed up in at the Post Office and I am amazed they get sent though the mail♫♪

patty said...

that's hysterical! love your pics! and i like both black betty and henrietta... tooo cute. :)

patty @ findingserendipity.com

Kranky Granny said...

You are bringing back some memories for me with this post. Sorry, but they are not pleasent ones for me.

I do find chicks cute and playful and love having the eggs hens produce. But don't really care for the meat birds.

Taking care of the chickens was my job all through high school. I also had to butcher and pluck three or more every Saturday for our Sunday dinner.

I have done my best not to eat chicken since leaving home.

Apologize if this was TMI.