Naming the Chickens

The chickens have completely feathered in. Chicks start growing feathers within days of hatching, starting with wing feathers, then a little chevron at the shoulder blades, and continuing until all their fluff is covered with feathers. Within two months, they looked just like chickens, but smaller.

"Don't name the chickens!" we told Meg. "They'll end up as food!" Her friend Nora suggested that she name them after food, and so she did.

The yellow chickens (Buff Orpingtons) are Nugget, Fingers, and Patty. The black chickens (Black Giants) are Stroganoff and Cacciatore. The New Hampshire Red chicken, who is brown with white spots, is named Alfredo. The brown-and-gold Araucana with the puffs of feathers by her ears, which look like mutton-chop whiskers, is Fajita. The Silver-Laced Wyandottes, with white feathers with black edges, are General Tso and Col. Sanders, while the black-and-white feather-foots (Cochins of some breed we haven't identified) are Kiev, Boston (the runt), and Stew.