Friday 17 March 2023

You Snooze, You Lose

 I wasn’t snoozing but I was preoccupied back in January which is when I should have called in an order for these gorgeous beauties.


Oh be still my silly chicken heart. The name alone!!! Lavender Orpington!! Alas they are now sold out. I only want ready-to-lay birds, not chicks. I don’t have the facilities to keep chicks separate from the older birds. The lady I was speaking to said I could be put on a waiting list. Apparently people do sometimes back out on their order or they order a bigger amount and decide they don’t want that many.

I am also on a waiting list for some of these luscious hens. Dark brown eggs!!




A good, heavy breed that would do well in our climate. 

So will I be chicken- less? No, I did order four of these sweet silvery girls for pick up on June 19th.


Currently I have three geriatric hens, one of whom provides me an egg every three or four days. Yes, every chicken is safe here to live out her years, as unproductive as they may be until their natural demise. Yes, I’m buying chicken feed for no good reason. Ah well, there are worse things in life.

20 comments:

  1. I really like chickens and my daughter raises them off and on in the Hill country. However, right now she had bunnies in her chicken coop as well as any empty stalls. I would love to have chickens, but the feral cats would not like it... (or would like it too much)...

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    1. How many times have I wanted to have a pet rabbit…

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  2. You've chosen some very good looking chickens. I had no idea there was such big demand for chickens. Waiting lists for chickens is new to me. At least you are assured of the June arrivals.

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  3. So often I wish we could raise chickens, but while some cities in our province allow them mine doesn't. I could raise bees though.

    God bless.

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  4. It looks like you have selected some excellent chickens! To have some good laying hens would be such a treat!

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  5. I hope the waiting list pays off and you get the chickens you desire! Our neighbours had chickens when I was a kid. Once a hen quit laying, she became Sunday Dinner roast chicken. No exceptions. The law of the barnyard.

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    1. That would be the logical thing to do, but I don’t think I could ever bring myself to killing one. ( Not a vegan, totally know where my food comes from, but just can’t do it).

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  6. we live in the city now, so no chickens for me. Enjoy yours.....

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  7. I hope you get the chickens you want. I'm sure it's a dumb question, but do different breeds of chickens get along?
    We did have chickens when I was a kid - but they were all butchered when I was about 4 or 5 years old. The saying, "running around like a chicken headless chicken" is all too true.

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    1. Well the term “ pecking order “ exists for a reason. It’s not always about one breed of chicken not getting along with a different breed, but there is usually a dominant hen ( one that’s been around for a while) and she eats first, pecks at the other hens, and can sometimes be quite a jerk. Also older hens will be very nasty to young, new birds so it’s good if you can have some “ shelters” set up so they can get out of the way until things die down a bit.

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  8. I don't like the idea of killing animals for meat, but I am delighted to get heaps of quality proteins from eggs. Plus the taste is delicious and the flexibility for cooking is endless.

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  9. I too have found that the breeds I want sell out fast. I have a mixed bantam flock and lost two to problems coming into lay again recently which was heart breaking. I couldn't find a breeder nearby for bantams so have added a black star, the last one the breeder had left. She is such a small breed that she fits in with my bantams and my bantam white sussex is larger than she is. I had three out of my flock of seven laying and now two of those have gone broody. Sigh! The new girl, Star, should start laying in about a month. You have picked lovely breeds there but too big for me.

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    1. I like the larger chickens - better for our climate. Years and years ago we had a banty pair. The hen was named Winky because she was blind in one eye. The rooster was an evil little man named Rusty. I’ve only ever had one hen go broody but I won’t keep roosters now so there’s no point.

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    2. I won't have roosters either. I prefer non broody girls but both of these girls are supposed to be non broody. I guess no one told them.

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  10. Oh no! I hope you move to the top of the waiting list and fast!

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  11. My brother has chickens, so I learned about the 'breeds' and what you mentioned here. I wish I had some chickens for the eggs.

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  12. They all look so cute! I hope being on the waiting list gets you the chickens you desire! In our old city, you could have backyard chickens. Had we continued to reside there, it was a serious consideration of mine.

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  13. I never thought I would want chickens. My mom would get 50 every spring and we butchered them every fall. Lost all interest. Now I want those brown eggs. I may have to get chickens.

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  14. I'm very keen to get my own hens. We're planning a move next year so I'm holding out till then. I hope you get some of the breeds you have set your heart on.

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  15. I did the same with my chicken flock. They earned their retirement here. I hope you get some of those chickens. We can only get chicks in our part of Ontario.

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