Flock!

[ms_ann_thrope]

I am very envious of your brood, godfry. I especially fancy Rock. Hester would be a nice name for her, but have you also considered Prudence? She looks like she might be a Prudence...

[godfry n. glad]

It is now.

So far ~

X : 'Buffy', 'Ginger'

Red: 'Emma', 'Lucille', 'Morgan'

Rock: 'Hester', 'Freckles', 'Prudence'

[Ensign Steve]

I think Hester is the best name for Rock. I can't decide between Buffy and Ginger, though.

[ZEZOZE]

that's pretty cool...i'm envious of your chickens...and grass

[beyelzu]

Originally Posted by godfry n. glad

Heh... X and Rock had a little run. I'd decided to move them to the hutch, since they seemed to be getting along tolerably well and when I opened the doors of the impoundment, Red came right to me. The other two hung back. So Red got unhindered access to the food as the first one in the hutch. Then, in order to make it easier to reach them, I was taking off the cardboard roof, now sodden with puddle filler, and the unlatched door popped open....the Rock was out in a flash, shortly followed by X. I tried to catch them, but in my slippers in slippery wet muck and getting wetter with the rain, I went in and got a hat and muck boots. I managed to lure X with food, but the Rock was having none of that...so the chase was on. 'Round the back of the shed, turn and head toward the front. So...a strolled on up and made sure the front gate was closed. Then I came back and closed the back gate. The Rock played dodge'm around the 'mater patch and then broke for the rose garden. When I followed in pursuit, she went under the balcony. I was dreading this.

Muttering to myself in the rain, I started the process of closing access to under the balcony. By the time I'd finished the section, I figured she'd wandered to nearby. Sure enough, she was standing on the top step of the back steps into the kitchen, looking like she was determined to get in. Approaching this from the far side, near the grape arbor, she fled, as expected to the basement stairs....trapped in a concrete hole. Thus, the first henbreak was foiled.

good job on the henbreak

make sure to keep the weapons out of reach and if prison movies have taught us anything, i wouldnt let them go into the metal working shop anymore.

[godfry n. glad]

Yeah...I've also gotta keep one from shivving the other.

Rock seems to be the leveler in the group. Red is using her as a screen from the pecks of X. Red seems to have developed a workable objective of keeping Rock between her and X.

That said, Red is the most human interested of the three. She'll come right to your arms; she likes to get right up in your face and "chat" with you. The other two sidle on over to the far side of the impoundment. I suspect that Red got the more human attention from her raiser.

[Qingdai]

Originally Posted by livius drusus

I asked my dad, and he said they're called sex-determined because the males are bred to look different from the females from birth, so you don't need to hire a specialist to sex them.

His company had a variety where the males had a white spot on their head. Other breeds have different colored feathers, or different numbers of primary feathers.

That makes sense, it's a nightmare trying to figure out the sex of baby chicks. My dad keeps telling me about it.
It's also a bummer to end up with a box of roosters 6 months later. Unless you really like chicken dinner.

I think you should name them Dumpling, Fricasse and Rice.
Or Flo, Bertha and Madge.

[godfry n. glad]

So far ~

X : 'Buffy', 'Ginger', 'Abigail'

Red: 'Emma', 'Lucille', 'Morgan'

Rock: 'Hester', 'Freckles', 'Prudence'

Unassigned triplets: 'Dumpling, Fricasse and Rice',
'Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner',
'Flo, Bertha and Madge'
'Susan B., Lizzie C. & Carry Chapkatt' - the suffrage trio
(it seems to me that there was an earlier one, "Alice, Ethel & Fred'...is that right?)

[livius drusus]

Originally Posted by Qingdai

That makes sense, it's a nightmare trying to figure out the sex of baby chicks. My dad keeps telling me about it.
It's also a bummer to end up with a box of roosters 6 months later. Unless you really like chicken dinner.

Indeed. Sexing a chick is hard work even for experts, and the more chickens you're selling/buying, the more it becomes an issue.

Originally Posted by livius drusus

Sexing a chick is hard work even for experts...

[livius drusus]

Put down the Color Me Badd CD, Uthgar, you degenerate.

[viscousmemories]

[Plant Woman]

[godfry n. glad]

Uthgar...I don't need you to sex my chickens...they've already done been sexed.

[godfry n. glad]

Then there's the other names that go along with Prudence. Temperance, Fortitude and Justice. Pick any two of three? Which fits which best?

Then of course there are the Roman virtues:

* Auctoritas — "Spiritual Authority" — The sense of one's social standing, built up through experience, Pietas, and Industria.
* Comitas — "Humour" — Ease of manner, courtesy, openness, and friendliness.
* Clementia — "Mercy" — Mildness and gentleness.
* Dignitas — "Dignity" — A sense of self-worth, personal pride.
* Firmitas — "Tenacity" — Strength of mind, the ability to stick to one's purpose.
* Frugalitas — "Frugalness" — Economy and simplicity of style, without being miserly.
* Gravitas — "Gravity" — A sense of the importance of the matter at hand, responsibility and earnestness.
* Honestas — "Respectability" — The image that one presents as a respectable member of society.
* Humanitas — "Humanity" — Refinement, civilization, learning, and being cultured.
* Industria — "Industriousness" — Hard work.
* Pietas — "Dutifulness" — More than religious piety; a respect for the natural order socially, politically, and religiously. Includes the ideas of patriotism and devotion to others.
* Prudentia — "Prudence" — Foresight, wisdom, and personal discretion.
* Salubritas — "Wholesomeness" — Health and cleanliness.
* Severitas — "Sternness" — Gravity, self-control.
* Veritas — "Truthfulness" — Honesty in dealing with others.

The researchers (Martin Seilgman and the "positive psychology movement") discovered a total of twenty-four virtues that are universal or nearly so, divided into six basic types.

* Wisdom and Knowledge: creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, perspective
* Courage: bravery, persistence, integrity, vitality
* Humanity: love, kindness, social intelligence
* Justice: citizenship, fairness, leadership
* Temperance: forgiveness and mercy, humility and modesty, prudence, self-regulation
* Transcendence: appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humor, spirituality

From which I can glean Hope, Humor, Modesty, Mercy, Dignitus, Clementine, Gravitas, Veritas , (that'n's been taken), Comitas, etc...

[ms_ann_thrope]

Oooh, I think Clementine would be a nice name for the redhead.

Buffy, Prudence, and Clementine are my votes.

* ms_ann_thrope is totally attempting to vicariously satisfy her own poultry-keeping urges

[Qingdai]

I think Industria is a great name for a hen.

Bunch of chicken sexers!

[godfry n. glad]

The names have all been put to the final arbiter. She has selected the following:

Rock: Hester

Red: Emma

X: Ginger

[Ensign Steve]

[livius drusus]

for Buffy. for Hester.

[Ensign Steve]

What's wrong with Buffy? When the vampires come, he'll be really glad she's there.

[livius drusus]

He didn't pick her! Ginger won instead. Hence the .

[Ensign Steve]

Oh! I get it.

[Shake]

Originally Posted by biochemgirl

Mmmmm.....chickens...

erm...yeah the eggs are good too.

[godfry n. glad]

I didn't pick anything.

I submitted the list of names to my SO, who selected those she liked.

I figured since she paid for them....

Anyway... Emma is a sweetheart. She's the first one out of the hutch in the morning and is always the first in, too. The time she spends in the run, she's perpetually looking for a way out. She seems to enjoy being held. So, though I'm convinced that she's the most human friendly, she's probably also the biggest flight risk.

Ginger is a bit diffident, but she can be tempted with food. She's the first one at the corn cob or feeder, or, if not, she pushes out whoever else is there (which is usually Emma). Ginger seems to spend the most time feeding. She sees the utility of the handling, but seems to think it would best be over quickly.

Hester is the most aloof, but also the most stable and conservative of the three. She probably would not wander far, even if left out of the run. She does not like being handled, unlike Emma. The mellowest in the run is the biggest pain to pick up. Hester has her dignity, and it does not include being "manhandled".

Ginger is still always pecking on Emma and Hester is ignored. Hester will only peck Emma when Emma runs into her trying to escape Ginger. Hester is the moderating influence over Ginger and allows Emma to use her as a shield from Ginger's pecking. Ginger does not peck Hester. Hester does not peck Ginger.

If they were sisters, I'd say Hester was the restrained elder, Ginger the pushy middle sister, and Emma the bright runt.