Our Chickens (and the end of this story is sad)

Some of you (especially if you're family) know that during the month of April, we decided to buy 16 chicks. We have been wanting fresh, organic eggs for a long time (as seen below)

and this seemed like the best way to do it without paying $3 per dozen in the store. Not to mention, we have a diverse, rainbow of colors one cannot buy in any supermarket. And once a week, we get a double yolk. That's great fun.

So we have 16 chickens now. All grown up. Pullets is what they are called. Our breeds are:

1. 2 Lakenvelders
2. 2 Morans
3. 2 Barred Rocks
4. 2 Rhode Island Reds
5. 2 White Leghorns
6. 2 Buff Orpingtons
7. 2 Amarucanas
8. 1 Gold Wynodotte
9. 1 Blue Wynodotte

Yes. I understand that this is a lot of chickens for newbies as ourselves. But I have five grandchildren and they had to have one and you have to get a twin for those so they're not alone plus my kids each got two and I did and Thomas did and Jennifer did. Somewhere that doesn't add up but you get the picture.

So we've had a lot of fun with these birds. They really do have their own personality and I've enjoyed feeding them blackberries and watching them run to me. Owen, Felix and Robee have made it a point each day to check for eggs and let the chickens out for a run in our acreage.

Since Felix does goats, Robee decided to enter three in this year's Evergreen Fair; Goldie the Gold Wynodotte. Russy the Rhode Island Red. Houdini (named after my lovely kitty) the Buff Orpinton.

Russy and Goldie came in 4th and 3rd in their class (out of 4 and 3 birds respectively). Not great.

But Houdini came in 1st in her class (out of 21 Buff Orpingtons) as well as winning Best in Breed and Best Variety.

As you can see, Robee is all smiles with his giant rosette.

And this is our prize winning bird, Houdini. She is a big, smart, wonderfully fun bird.

And she is now dead.

This past Sunday, as I was sitting outside with the goats, we believe that a coyote hunted her down and dragged her away. We found a trail of feathers leading to her death. Luckily (since Felix was with me when I discovered this horror), the critter had carried her off to dinner.

The kids were devastated. Thomas even more so since this was his special bird.

I realize we live in a wild area and we take our chances with all these animals (our kitty suddenly Cynnamon disappeared last June) and this was a huge wake-up call.

The chickens are no longer allowed out and Thomas and I are expanding the run so that they can feel a little more free than they do now. They're so offended that we are not letting them out and they cluck at me as though they were scolding. But I will not got through that again. Too heartbreaking.

So Sunday night as I put the girls to bed, I sadly counted 15 chickens.