Chickens

Meredith (at top) is larger than the Orpingtons.  Notice their fluffy bloomers.

Such a dreamboat!

The females look so much alike I can't tell them apart yet.

The buff Orpingtons behave differently than the Amercaunas chickens I had before. For one thing, they scratch at the ground more. You know how chickens scratch the ground? They paw once with the left foot, twice with the right foot, peck at what they have uncovered, and repeat. Every day when I give them fresh water, I have to empty an inch or more of mud from the water bowl. The chickens scratch up so much dirt it flies through the air and some of it lands in the water dish. I have been moving the coop and run every week as usual. These Orpingtons scratch so much that the grass is not recovering like it used to when I had all Americaunas. I have many bare spots in my lawn now.  Other than the scratching, the two breeds are both docile and tame which I do appreciate.  In the winter, when they stay in the same spot for months at a time, will they continue to scratch up as much earth?  I hope we have some good snow cover this winter. If we don't I am afraid these chickens will dig a run-sized hole in the ground-possibly six feet deep!