Aug 19
2008
Bumblebee Welcomes the Chickens
After three days of calling my local post office to ask if any of their boxes there were making cluck-clucking sounds, I finally called the Omlet company to see if they had any leads on my chickens. Sadly, it turned out that my much anticipated chickens would be be delayed for two to four weeks.
Frankly, in two to four weeks I will be traveling or otherwise indisposed. So I took off to the local Amish market to see what they had to say about my chicken situation. That is where I fell in love.
Meet my new baby chickens.
Here’s Olivia.
I am told that Olivia is a White Rock chicken. She will grow up to be the prototypical white chicken that we saw in our children’s books. At two weeks, she is shy and does a good bit of peeping. She has warmed up nicely to being handled in just a few days.
Olivia is named after my maternal grandmother. Grandma Olivia was a bit, uh, prickly. Let’s hope that Olivia is a bit more friendly–and doesn’t bite.
This is Maxine.
Maxine is a Polish chicken. That means that when she grows up to be a big chicken she will have a fancy head of feathers that resembles a lady’s Easter bonnet. At two weeks, Maxine is very vocal. She makes all manner of PEEP PEEP sounds. When you pick her up, she makes a little chirp sound.
Maxine is named after my grandma Olivia’s younger sister Maxine. Maxine never married, but had a career, traveled and loved fine things, good conversation and–EXERCISE. I was fortunate enough to celebrate Maxine’s 90th birthday luncheon back in January. She explained how she still lifted weights three times a week and stayed in touch with any number of friends, young and old.
This is Minnie Ruth.
Minnie Ruth is an Araucana chicken, although not likely a purebred. Although she is supposed to be the same age as the other chicks, she is quite a bit larger and is usually the chick the other two gather around for protection and warmth.
Minnie Ruth is named after my father’s mom. She was the mother of seven children. She adored eating, Western romance novels and soap operas. She believed everything she ever heard or read, including what was published in the National Enquirer. She never met anyone she didn’t like and always had a childlike joy in the smallest things that life brought.
Perhaps you can see why I named my new chickens after family?
Join me in welcoming my new chickens. Long live the chickens!
August 19th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
I’m so happy to meet them and look forward to future updates on your new chicken family. They are so cute!
August 19th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
The girls are lovely and I look forward to seeing more of them! Olivia LOOKS shy and sweet. Maxine’s coloring is very unusual … I wonder how it will develop as she matures? Minnie Ruth looks like she has hidden depths.
August 19th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!!
And they each fit their names so well.
Congrats to you, Minnie Ruth, Maxine, and Olivia for all finding each other. May they produce many eggs and lots of manure for the garden!
August 19th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Good to see that your issues of Backyard Poultry are going to go to good use now! Keep us posted on their progress, and when they start that all important egg laying adventure.
August 19th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Those are some cute chicks! I hope you have them a long time.
August 19th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Oh…they are just too cute and I am so excited to be able to have virtual chickens through your efforts! I can’t wait to see what they look like as they mature.
August 19th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
I hope you’ll post about the chicks’ new home, their food, and their progress through the winter. I fantasize about having a few chickens in my fairly small yard and would be interested in the nuts and bolts of a small-scale operation. I have foxes however, so it’s not likely to happen..which is why I mostly fantasize.
August 19th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
I love them already! And what a cool thing to name them after members of your family…
Congrats on the chickens, Omlet, and all things peeping!
August 19th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
So cute!
August 19th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Adorable! But no little red hen?
August 19th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
What cute little chicks!
August 19th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
Oh Robin, you made it! I am very happy to see them at Bumblebee
I will be delighted to see them growing with you.
I had also a thought to look for chickens, especially after I saw that one which lays lavender eggs.
Finally I didn’t decide yet.
Congratulations on growing your family!
Ewa
August 20th, 2008 at 6:32 am
Congrats on the new additions, they are adorable!
August 20th, 2008 at 6:39 am
Love the stories that go with each new “family member!
August 20th, 2008 at 6:41 am
Congrats! And keep those photos coming. S
August 20th, 2008 at 8:07 am
Dee: I’m on a quest for chickens also although they will wait until next spring. I need Rhode Island reds, of course! I am working on a chicken house design which is movable like the eggloo you are going to get. Time will tell…love your new brood. How long before they produce and will you need a rooster for incentive? Maybe a rooster CD.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:49 am
I love your baby chicks! I just want so bad to hold one! I recall them from childhood. We had a henhouse. And their bodies are so soft, the feathers like air. Oh, I envy you! I want some chickens, but doubt it would go over well in this garden home community!
Brenda
August 20th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Congratulations on your new additions. I’ve been following your Omlet ordeal on Plurk so I’m glad that you finally got some chicks. Is it wise to name them after family though? Won’t it be a little weird/sad when they eventually go to the big hen house in the sky?
August 20th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
How very cute!!! I want to get some chickens this year too- I wondered if it was too late. I may have to wait another year ( but I don’t want to)
August 20th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Congrats on your new little additions!! They are so adorable and I can’t to follow their progress:)
August 21st, 2008 at 11:21 am
Ooh, they’re so cute! I desperately want some chickens too, but since we live next door to the city council president, I don’t think we’ll be able to sneak them in
So, I’m looking forward to living vicariously through your chicks! Enjoy them!
August 21st, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Baby chicks are about the most adorable creature on this Earth, other than baby horses, baby lambs, baby goats . . . uhmm, baby anything actually.
I do love baby chicks. Have fun being a chicken mama.~~Dee
August 31st, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Robin, I’m so jealous! (Did I mention that I’m jealous?) I want chickens! Yours are just adorable! I read about Maxine.
I’m so sorry to hear that. Can you get another like her?
September 5th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
[...] catch you up on the chicken saga…After waiting for my much-anticipated chickens and receiving the crushing news that there would be a two- or three-week delay in the delivery of [...]
October 13th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
[...] | user-saved public links | iLinkShare 4 votesBumblebee Welcomes the Chickens>> saved by steryuio 1 days ago2 votesTherearenosunglasses’s Weblog: US Mercenary Chickens Will [...]
December 17th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
[...] in August I purchased three baby chicks for $2 each from the Amish market in Hughesville, about 45 minutes from our home. The fellow who [...]
January 14th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
I had a chicken named Olivia, but she died in November 2008!!! My flock that was once 14 is now 9!!! Can you believe that in October 2008 we had 14 chickens!?!? Some people don’t believe in naming chickens, but I do!!! In April or May we getting 6 chicks!! I wonder what We’ll name them!!
January 14th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Just a FYE Arucanas tend to be slightly larger then other chickens!!! I have 2 of them and they are sortta on the big side!!!!
May 21st, 2009 at 12:29 am
Would you give me permission to use a photo of your chicks in a printed brochure on backyard chickens?