Here Chickie Chickie Chickie!

I GOT MY FIRST CHICKEN!!!!!  Meet Della, the "Delaware Mix"! Isn't she darling? I found her at the Burbank Animal Shelter, of all places! We have a local no-kill shelter that takes in mostly dogs, cats, and rabbits, and on occasion they'll have a range of less common animals. I happened to swerve into their parking lot on impulse the other day, and there she was. My new little girl.


There were two chickens, actually. And I debated taking them both. I really wanted to! But the other chicken, a rare breed called Black Sumatra, is a bit aggressive by nature, and I didn't want little Della to spend the rest of her life running for cover. 


(Sidebar: If anyone wants a beautiful Black Sumatra for 5 bucks, go get her! She's really pretty and is laying a LOT). 


At first I thought that Della was a "bantam". A bantam is a midget chicken. I'm learning all sorts of new chicken words... it's its own world, I'm tellin' ya. Anyhoo, turns out she's just a youngster, probably 8 or 9 weeks old (I also learned that chickens start laying after about 9 weeks). That's my estimate anyway, know why?


BECAUSE SHE LAID HER VERY FIRST EGG!!!!!!

Meet our first grandegg!!!!!!!! I'm so proud!!!!! So proud, that I don't mind posting this really unflattering picture of myself. Well, I kind of mind. Whose arm is that?

Anyhoo (I said anyhoo twice), look how petite this her first egg is! It's the most beautiful egg I've ever seen. It's light tan in color and reminds me of a Victorian lass with porcelain skin and a rosy blush. It looks bigger than it is by the tape - in actuality it's just longer than an inch. And it's just the littlest, lovable egg in the world! I might just have to blow out the insides (hello breakfast) and keep the shell forever. Maybe make it a Christmas tree ornament or hang it in my kitchen.

Poor Della is lonely though. So come Thursday, I'll have my full flock fathomed! I'm going to place my order from Dare 2 Dream Farms in Lompoc, CA today for 3 or 4 more chickens. An Americauna, a Salmon Faverolle if they have one, and maybe a Buff Orpington. There are SO many choices for awesome chickens.... I really want a white Silkie, but I'm not sure that they have them. Or a white Frizzle. What's better than a truly ridiculous chicken....


So there ya have it! The latest of my chicken adventures! I'll post more pictures of chickens and the coop in my next blog, after the girls arrive. Sneak peek: my mom had to cut down a dead walnut tree and I got a great branch that I put in the coop for a roost. Little Della loves to sleep up high and really likes her new branch. 


Life rocks. And chickens make it better. 


B'GOK!