A few of the girls

I can't believe I haven't blogged since Knit East.  Where does the time go?  I still need to blog about the Maritime Spinner's Retreat and a host of other things but, yeah, time gets away from me.  And it's that time of year when knitting deadlines get imposed and stuff happens and the calendar is busy and I'm still doing the 3-nights-a-week exercise classes and I just. can't. keep. up. sometimes.

So, instead of all that stuff I should be blogging about, here are a few pictures of some of my chickens, who have (for the most part) recently moulted, and therefore look rather lovely. Not many eggs this time of year, because the day length is short and we seem to be living in a phase of perpetual gloom and grey skies, which also doesn't help.  Eggs should pick up again in late February or March sometime.  For now, it's 2 a day, most days.

Here's Raptor, who was a hen that didn't get along well in another flock, and she's been with me for a while now, and seem to have settled in.  She got her name from the screeches she makes when I touch her, which for her own comfort, I generally don't do.

She's some kind of bantam cross - on the larger side of bantams. 

Here's Maple - a very serious and determined hen.  She's a Swedish Flower/Isbar cross.

This is one of the roosters that came from this year's 3 hatched chicks.  This little chick...

...became this gorgeous guy. 

Although we usually use our extra roosters for chicken stock, I can't bring myself to eat him.  He's a stunner. He also has a small comb, which is ideal for our winters. I have no idea where that comb came from because none of other other birds have one like that.

This beauty is Onyx - she's a maran cross.

Here's Paprika and one of the other red hens (either Poppy or Marigold I think) enjoying some pumpkin.

Lucinda would like to show you her fluffy bloomers. There's a show-off in every crowd!

Shadow is an Icelandic/Isbar cross hen.  I love her black-laced feathers.

The girls do like to sit on this old Craftsman table saw stand.  We don't have the saw, and I was going to throw out the stand, but thought they might like it, and sure enough they do.  Here's Onyx and one of the red hens (maybe Kaede) with a young black bantam rooster in the background. 

I do love my chickens!