We got our chickens on June 8th. “Ten should be good,“ I thought when Justin told me to get some as we browsed the store. That seems to be how we do things. We have an idea of what we are going to do. We talk it through but we never make a plan. Then one day it just happens. We just do it. Jump in with both feet and never look back. Any way... these are not my first chickens. I had a short list in my head of breeds that would do well in the weather here and that I would like to have. So when the sales lady spouted off ten kinds of chickens hurriedly, I dug through my memory and picked three kinds I knew would be good. Black Australorps, Rhode Island Reds, and Silver Laced Wyandottes. She scooped up the babies and gave us four Australorps, and three of each other kind..... or we thought. as our chickens grew I became the crazy chicken lady they make all of the signs and mugs and shirts for. But on of my babies was a little different that expected. Goldie was supposed to be a Rhode Island Red but as she got older she was getting more and more different from the other two. It wasn’t until October (when she was fully feathered and grown) that I was sure we had a Colombian Blacktail.
Back up a few months and my little sweet pea the Australorp started sprouting feathers from her legs and orange feathers on her black head and neck. Definitely not an Australorp.
There are more than 400 recognized breeds of chickens. And so it was not an easy task to try to figure it out. But after a lot of searching I thought I had it figured out... and today it was confirmed. A very expensive breed was hiding in my flock as a Black Australorp. She is a beautiful Black Copper Maran! I am 100% sure after the laid the most beautiful chocolate brown egg for the first time today! People love to get these chickens for that reason and she has grown from my little tiny teeny Sweet Pea to the largest Chicken I have
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