These speckled hens are the ones I love the most.
Next year I am going to isolate my home grown speckled roosters with these home grown speckled hens and then hatch the eggs. Who knows what we will get but I hope to get more speckled hens.
Boo has come into his own and is being magnificent with the young birds now. I would never have done this earlier in the summer but it seems that he has worked out that the chickens are not for carrying about.
Plus very recently he is beginning to herd in a thoughtful way – Ton I can move on command, and tell to Stay but no cow is afraid of him (Ton is more of a signal dog really, I send him out to Lady and he kind of TELLS her it is milking time by lying down next to her, but Boo is doing very well with the Go Round, and Get Away commands, moving right around the group of cows and bringing them in. Twice he has cut out the calves (he knows they are sent to the barn by themselves) and brought them quietly to the gate. So while the weather is good we practice at milking time very slowly walking in our little herd and dividing them up so Lady Astor is in the yards, the calves are into the barn, and the other three are sent back out into the field.
The dogs and I are enjoying this new development.
Peghorn our oldest and most distinguished rooster, having survived many solid hidings at the claws of the younger set, and has had two long stays in the chickens hospital wing knocking on deaths door, has developed an ability to become invisible. He hides when the other bigger younger roosters are about and when I open the door to let Amanda’s chicks out he shoots in to have a good munch. At night he sidles through the barn door last and sneaks in to sleep with Tima and Tane and their cat LuLu.
I hope you have a good day.
Love celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
49 responses to “Talk about Chicken”
I am beginning again with chooks (much more carefully now). Btw that is one hell of a rooster!
Chickens are all looking good! Lost one of mine the other week. She had a prolapsed vent that would not go back. Took her to the vet, but they could do nothing. Oh well, we take the good with the bad. Down to just five ladies now. May have to re-stock the flock next spring.
Question – how come the male Turkey is called a ‘Tom’ and so is a male cat? Seems strange as they are no way related LOL
Boo is a wonderful dog. I have been a member of his fan club since the day you got him!
Me too! Love that Boo!
Great to see Peghorn again and in such fine fettle 🙂 It is wonderful when something “clicks” in a dogs brain and a trained behaviour is set for life. Laura
Peghorn is looking autumnally gorgeous.
Leghorn is such a gorgeous bird. Magnificent. Good morning, c, and all the best to you for the day. x >
I can see why you love the speckled hens; that broken colour is lovely, and Mr Peghorn is wonderfully vivid despite his seniority. He’s a clever old rooster!
Kate, Celi will not go far wrong with speckled hens!! 😉
Nor will certain members of the fellowship…heheh. Much love, Gayle.
Nice description of Boo’s, the rooster’s and all the other’s living. Beautiful shots.I like best when you said: Peghorn always sleeps with Tima and Tane and “their” cat LuLu. Everyone has got his/her’s special friends and is building a friendship. So nice…. – I am very taken with the fact that every single animal has got it’s very own and very unique character. You are able to observe that so well. Thanks for sharing… – Have a nice day, Celi!
Well done Boo! I suppose he thought that small birds would want to play like kittens 🙂
Why are the speckled ones your favorites? They are all beautiful. I heard a great story on NPR yesterday about a writer for children who has written over 100 books, and he always comes up with the titles first! Reminded me of you and your blogs. Funny, that. Take care!
Celi, will you move the chickens that are in the picture into the barn when it gets colder? Or will they stay in that enclosure during the winter?
They will all go into the chook house with the others – I will blend them with Hugo’s chicks then I just need to take their half way house into the chook house – as you know you cannot blend a group too fast. They will be warm in there for the winter. c
I was pretty sure that was the plan! We have 8 about to go in a halfway house now. So weird that out of 20 eggs incubated only 9 hatched and 8 survived. Don’t know what happened with that. We’ve always had much better results hatching chickens.
Such clever dogs you have, thaks to your patient traiing. And Peghorn is looking fabulous – haven’t seen him for a while. As irmi says, it’s lovely the way your animals all have special friends and places to sleep
Son gone back to UK and Jock back here…..I’m whacked!
Have a lovely day
ViV xox
A most handsome Roo you have there!!! We have one gentleman rooster, Benedict! He is our main man…any other Roo’s that hatch out are destined for the freezer once they get to the point of harassing the hens. Love the speckled hens…what type are they??
They are the barnyard type! c
PEGHORN! I love that Rooster! Tell him hello for me, please!
I know – I thought of you when I took his picture.. c
Thanks, friend! Peghorn has grit and determination. He is a survivor. An example for us all!
Even though it’s not raining, your lovely description reminds me of a peaceful ark.
We could do with a bit of rain..