Okay, what we've got here is an Ameraucana pullet and cockerel. Which is which? If you're like me you'd assume that first guy with the rooster-tail and the serious struttin-about look to him is the cockerel. But nope, he's a she. She's got more wing-feathers, and her tail-feathers stick up nicely already. The future rooster is the obsequious little guy with the stumpy tail. This is Skunk, who is starting to feather out in a lovely dark brick red over the shoulders. With the barred rocks we can tell the boys and girls apart from the combs, but Ameraucanas are late-bloomers of little itty-bitty peacombs.Fiona would make a brilliant farm kid. She is eager, comfortable and assertive around the chickens, absolutely fearless, quick at catching them and excellent at predicting their behaviour. She spends a lot of time inside the chick corral. Today she got all the kids involved in a contest -- stick your bare feet through the fence into the corral and see how long you can endure the eager pecking of your toenails, cuticles and the skin between your toes. I'm not sure anybody won.
LOL The things kids think of!
ReplyDeleteWe are contemplating getting some chickens and the ones you mention here are on my list. DH wants some Red Rhode Island hens as well.
We still have logistics to work out--be we are hoping some day soon. I can't wait to tell my little one about the toe pecking game LOL
Sounds like a good game! Fiona could visit us on our farm, we have lots of animals!
ReplyDeletewe've got ameracaunas--love their colored eggs! We also have Rhode Island Reds, Black Austrolorps, a silver laced wyandot and a barred rock. Unfortunately the foxes got 10 of my hens this past week :-(
ReplyDelete2 buff Orpingtons, and a few of the other breeds. A friend of my daughter had 2 chickens that came with a duck her family rescued. I asked he what kid they were. She told me that they are the white fluffy ones with the little red thing on their heads.
So it goes...
I thought they were both cockerels.
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