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My little hens are a source of great enjoyment for me. Just sitting in the backyard watching them cluck and peck around looking for goodies is a welcome relaxation after a long week’s work. They each have their own little personalities, and it has been a delight getting to know them. And then there are all the nice eggs!

Every chicken flock has a pecking order (literally), and mine is no exception. I have listed the girls in order of rank ~

 Click here to hear Dame Edna on your own media player

Dame Edna

The first of my girls, this lovely black Australian Orpington (Australorp) is quiet and shy, and generally keeps to herself—that is, unless you are a large red hen with an attitude. Dame quickly put the larger, younger upstart to rest in an impressive hen fight that made me wonder what the heck I had gotten myself into. Red was subsequently moved to a farm with more room, and Dame Edna settled back into her sovereignty without another cluck.

Baby Mija

As I looked down into her cage at the State Fair, I thought, “I have to have that bird.” With beautiful hawk-like markings and golden eyes, this was one cool chicken. I checked off my TO BUY list and took her home. Now, Mija was the first Ameraucana mix I had ever seen “in person.” (“in chicken?”) How was I to know her odd behavior and humongous feet weren’t normal breed characteristics? It wasn’t until Sister Perla arrived from the same farm that I realized Baby Mija was one weird little chicken. Half-blind and loopy as a bat, Baby is terrified of the other girls but more than happy to cuddle in my lap. She also enjoys overseeing yard projects from the vantage point of RT ’s broad shoulders while he is working, and she helps mystify the neighbors by perching on my head while I enjoy an afternoon martini on the patio.

Lady Amber and Lucy Liu

Lady Amber is a lovely, shy mahogany French Faverolles hen who came to us from a friend in Kentucky.  While lovely and luxuriously feathered, she is also a bit of a worry-wort, and is forever fretting about what might happen next.  She is also a little piggy, and her favorite pastime is letting Lucy look for the food ~ and then stealing it for herself.

Her little buddy Lucy Liu is proof that big things can come in small packages.  Lucy is an adorable black bantam Chinese cochin; hailing from the same Kentucky friend, little Lucy is always at the head of the line for snacks and treats.  Come to think of it, she's always at the head of the line for just about anything.  She loves to know exactly what is going on in every minute, and since she has no sense of personal space she could easily end up perched on your arm with her little nosy beak right next to your cheek. 

The Gangstas

Hmmm, what do you call a strutting posse of adorable, Napoleon-complex bantam chickens?  Sparkle, Glitter, Shimmer and Dazzle come to mind.  Or maybe Eva [Perron], Catherine [the Great], Boudica, and Cleopatra are better names for little birds who all think they are much larger than their finger-perching size.  These bouncing, peeping, mischievous little elves are great entertainment for me, even without being old enough to lay eggs.  I obtained these sweet little gold-necked Belgian d'Uccles from a hobbyist in Atlanta, and I am so glad I did.

Astrophel and Stella

I acquired these two gorgeous ivory girls by pestering a very talented bantam breeder in Georgia.  These butterscotch booted bantams are representatives of a lesser-known breed that actually preceded the better-known Belgian d'Uccles.  These cool and elegant-looking ladies were wild as March hares when they arrived, but a few weeks in Jen's Boot Camp for Polite Ladies has turned them into friendly little birds who are just a joy to be around.  They lay beautiful little ivory-colored eggs, and have ravenously enjoyed the new life of treats they have found.

Penny Pretty

Penelope Pretty is a lemon blue bantam Chinese cochin purchased at a Georgia poultry show.  Penny is soft and huggable as a fluffy down pillow, but she prefers to perch on your arm instead of being hugged and squished as I would like.  She is sweet as can be and somewhat shy, and she keeps her distance from the other bantam breeds so they aren't tempted to jealously tug her pretty feathers.

Aunt Bea

Aunt Bea is a pretty little cuckoo bantam Chinese cochin, also from the young breeder at the Georgia poultry show.  Aunt Bea likes to bustle about in her grey skirts, gossiping about every little thing and telling me what to do.  Although I am already quite fond of Auntie, she is destined to make her home in Kentucky with a handsome red bantam Cochin husband.

Click here to hear Symphony of Four Hens on your own media player

Fondly Remembered . . .

Sister Perla

Sister Maria Conchita Pepita Perla Poopsalot was a stunning Ameraucana mix hen who lived up to her name. Sister came as a replacement for Red, and she layed the most beautiful blue-green eggs. Each hen has her own unique series of clucks and whistles, and Sister Perla’s sounds ranged from Jawa-like to Hamburglaresque. She was our resident diva, and looked for all the world like she was dressed in a beautiful feather boa.

 Click here to hear Greedy Bess on your own media player

Greedy Bess

My big, fat, gorgeous American girl, this pushy Barred Plymouth Rock was second in command and enforced her will with an ever-ready peck and a rowdy chase around the yard. Bess’s hallmark sounds included a warning “borrrrrrr” paired with an intimidating cock of the head (reserved for naughty hens and humans whose actions outstrip their social stations), and a higher whistle that actually caused an exclamation point to appear in a bubble over her head. Besides getting all the juiciest tidbits, Bess loved to run across the yard at breakneck speed with her head down like a battering ram. She also enjoyed Saturday morning biscotti in the garden. Don’t ask.