Meet Henrietta, Hennie and Gertrude new family members this summer. We got set up for them with the visit of my six year-old granddaughter for the summer. Thought she might enjoy watching them grow over the summer.  As it turns out, I like it more.  They are characters with individual personalities.

Henrietta is the black one on the left and she is second in command, followed by Hennie. Gertrude, the white Bantam is the leader of the pack.  She is the first one to try any food, the first one to venture out the door and will meander furthest from the coop.  My neighbor’s seven year-old granddaughter came over and was watching the chickens one day.  She looked at me and said I know why you named the white Gertrude, she is SO rude.

When we first got the chickens I kept getting the black chicken (Henrietta) and the brown chicken (Hennie) confused.  My six year-old granddaughter looked at me very seriously and said:  “It’s easy grandma, Hennie is brown like me”.  I have not confused them since.

When I am working in the garden, I let them out in the sunshine, but have to be careful as we have several Eagles in the area.

I was told that chickens are natural trash disposals and so far that seems true.  I did a little research about what not to feed them, but I find it fun that salad and fruit no longer goes to waster. We grow wine grapes in the back yard so I generally let them have some in the early evening when I am having a glass of wine.  That is their five-o-clock cocktail.

Carrot greens are no longer wasted and they seem to love herbs.  When Claire was here and would not eat bread crusts, they were quickly devoured. The favorite so far seems to be corn on the cob.  They come running when they see me with that.

In this life and at this time when it is hard to find something to smile about, my chickens make me smile.