Meet Cinder!!

This week, the spotlight falls on one of the newer members of our flock, Cinder. She is a Black Jersey Giant that we picked up this spring at just a couple days old from a local feed store.

Cinder may not have been around here very long, but she has certainly made an impact on us all in one way or another. There is just something about a shiny black chicken who’s feathers reflect beautiful colors in the sun light. It’s kind of hard not to appreciate what a good looking chicken she is. The oldest country kid regularly comments on how stunning she is.

To bad she is a pain in the rear sometimes…. Kind of like another chicken, Buffy, was in her younger days. But let’s start this tale from the very beginning….. a feed store, a cheeping box, and a cute little fluffy butt!

This spring I knew I wanted a black chicken to add to the flock. I like for all our girls to be different breeds. It comes in very helpful when you need to do a quick head count of everyone. I was torn between an Australorp and a Jersey Giant. When I consulted the family (all guys) of course bigger is better and they wanted a BIG black chicken, thus the Jersey Giant.

I’m pretty sure the feed store was tired of me calling, but I knew which days they received new chicks, and I was going to get my Jersey Giant before they all sold out. The day came when they finally got a shipment of them in! I called my hubby and told him to swing buy and pick me one up on his way home from work. She was so stinkin cute!!!! She joined her sisters in the brooder as the smallest who would one day out grow them all.

And grow they did. This year’s crop of chicks were the most curious birds ever. They were not afraid of much and in fact would run towards the unknown. One of the country kids threw this banged up plastic ball and they all had to speed over and investigate it. It was so funny watching Cinder learn about her world once she moved outside.

Her curiosity can also be a pain in the butt at times as she has hopped our fence, even with a clipped wing, more times then I can count. It is a good thing our neighbor is totally cool (and almost never home) because we have had to go over there too many times to wrangle Cinder back into our yard.

Now when I found her trying out the nest box way before she was laying, I should have took it as a warning sign. Not only was she younger then the other chicks, but she would grow larger then the rest, so she would be laying later then everyone. So why was she is the box? Because as soon as she did lay her first egg, she went broody! I kid you not. This silly little girl is about the broodiest bird ever and I am regularly throwing her out of the box.

Cinder is all most as committed to food as she is to wanting to sit. You can tell she is broody when treats time rolls around and she is no where to be found. Lucky for her I try to grab eggs as soon as I see them so she doesn’t have a chance to park her big fluffy butt, and then miss out on treats. I don’t think we have found a food yet that Cinder has turned her beak up at.

I have found that my reasons for loving this little black beauty have nothing to do with her beauty, or her broodiness (though maybe next year we might get her some fertile eggs), but because of how calm and friendly she is. While the other hens cackle and fight over food, or avoid being handled, Cinder just quietly goes thought her day. If you happen to sit down in the grass she will come over and request a cuddle, going so far as to just climb right in your lap without being invited!

But how could you not want to cuddle this beautiful girl?!?! I mean look at her….. She has grown up into such a nice young lady….. if she would just stop hopping the fence and trying to sit on ever egg she finds! But I’m sure with time, her wander lust will wain. Now if we she would just stop sitting on everything……

18 thoughts on “Meet Cinder!!

  1. She IS a beautiful girl! I think I've remarked in the past on her coloring..wouldn't you love to have hair as beautiful and shiny as that?? I think getting her some eggs is a great idea! You have the work, we get the pics!! hehe Dona

    1. I would love to have hair as nice as her feathers! And as for the eggs… I think she would be an amazing mom, so maybe we will

  2. Cinder is irresistible. I love her baby picture – full of black fluff and now that she is full grown, she is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing with #overthemoon

  3. She's lovely! I was raised with (many!) chickens, but just a month ago, after many years now have chickens again. We have 6 and they have been so much fun 😀

  4. We have a Cinders too! Ours is a French Black copper Maran pullet. Sweet to us but fiesty to the other chickens.

  5. I have heard from friends and family how wonderful chickens are to have around. After this post, I may have to move just to get me a few. 🙂

  6. I'm just a country girl at heart and I've been yearning for chickens. So naturally, I think Cinder is beautiful! I love to read your delightful stories! Keep 'em coming!

    1. She is a doll. Great personality. If you love on them when they are young, they will follow you like a dog!

  7. Awwwww, too much fun. I so wanted to have maybe 6 chickens in the backyard, we are unincorporated. I mentioned that at a party and—our little development–old as the hills as it is…passed a NO FARM animals ordinance, apparently for me the next month. SO, I so enjoyed the visit with your chickens. Grins, Sandi

  8. She is really cute, and going to great mom. Thanks for sharing her story with us in Hearth and soul blog hop.

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