This is a quick share of my clucking awesome crew.
Chickens are such a fun and easy addition to any small farm. In my opinion, they’re one of the best ways to introduce kids to the responsibility of daily farm chores.
They can help with feeding, watering, and collecting eggs—it’s a great way to get them involved.
My boys really enjoyed raising chickens when they were younger. In fact, my youngest used to say he wanted to be a chicken farmer when he grew up—and honestly, I wouldn’t have been mad about it!
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(Spoiler:)
It didn’t quite work out that way… He went on to graduate from university with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Graphic Design. He’s incredibly creative.
(And just for curiosity’s sake—my oldest grew up to become a firefighter-paramedic.)
Anyway! Let me introduce you to my little flock and share a few fun details about the breeds I keep.
THE CLUCKING AWESOME CHICKENS!
SILKIE ROOSTER
.JPG "silkie rooster")
Hatched here in 2019, Feral earned his name by not being handled much as a chick.
He’s never aggressive, and he makes a ton of noise if something’s wrong.
He’s a fantastic flock protector and takes his job seriously.
I love Silkies in general for their quirky feathering and gentle personalities.
They look like little fluffballs waddling around the yard, and even the roosters tend to be pretty mellow.
SILKIE
Besides calling her Mama Bird, she also has the nickname Dirt Ball because she’s almost always dirty from dust bathing.
With all that fluffy white feathering, she’s the chicken I seem to have to give actual baths to more than any other.
Silkies have a unique feather structure, barbules instead of regular feathers, that makes them extra fluffy but also more prone to getting dirty.
Mama Bird is the oldest hen in the flock, hatched the same year as Feral.
She’s a classic broody hen, Silkies lay adorably small eggs and make wonderful mothers.
Watching her settle in to care for her chicks is one of my favorite farm moments.
BLUE COCHIN
These two are honestly my new favorite breed.
Cochins are super fluffy, sweet, and perfect if you have kids or just want gentle hens.
They don’t mind being handled, as long as you handle them as chicks which also makes egg collecting way easier.
And come on, those feathered legs and puffball butts?
Absolutely adorable.
They lay medium to large brown eggs and are some of the best mamas around.
They love going broody and take really good care of their chicks.
If you want a gorgeous, chill hen that’s easy to love and good with the family, Cochins are definitely the way to go.
AMERAUCANA
This girl is a total character.
She’ll follow you all over the farm, but everything has to happen on her terms.
Honestly, she’s a lot like a cat, independent, a little sassy, and always doing her own thing.
Ameraucanas are super popular because they lay beautiful eggs that range from blue to green, adding a lovely pop of color to your egg basket.
They’re usually pretty hardy birds and good for a variety of climates.
Goldie definitely marches to the beat of her own drum, but that independent streak just adds to her charm.
She’s one of those hens you keep an eye on because you never quite know what she’ll get up to next.
LIGHT BRAHMA
This hen is my husband’s favorite.
She’s big, gentle, and super easygoing. If you want to hold her, she’ll just squat down and wait patiently for you to pick her up.
I love Brahmas for their size and sweet temperament, they really are total gentle giants.
They’re great with kids because they’re so tolerant and patient, and they tend to be quieter than some other breeds.
Plus, they have beautiful feathered legs and soft plumage that make them stand out in the flock.
Brahmas are also cold-hardy and pretty good layers of medium to large brown eggs, especially for a big bird.
If you’re new to chickens or want a dependable, calm hen, Brahmas are definitely a breed to consider.
WELSUMMER
These girls definitely prefer to do their own thing.
You’ll usually find them tucked under shady tree branches or quietly poking around the edges of the yard, totally unbothered by the hustle and bustle of the rest of the flock.
Welsummers lay rich, dark brown eggs that have a lovely deep color, perfect for those who love a classic farm-fresh look in their egg basket.
They have this charming old-world farm vibe that I absolutely adore.
They’re reliable layers, hardy in different climates, and tend to stay healthy with minimal fuss.
These two were supposed to be my bright blue egg layers, except Skit lays white eggs, while Muffs actually does lay a beautiful blue.
Go figure!
Whiting True Blues are supposed to be one of the best blue egg-laying breeds out there, which is part of why I ordered them (from McMurray Hatchery—the same place I got my Blue Cochins).
From what I’ve read and been told, you can usually guess egg color by looking at a chicken’s earlobes. Muffs has gorgeous blue earlobes and lays a matching blue egg.
Skit has white earlobes and lays a white egg.
So maybe it checks out, but then there are Silkies with turquoise lobes who lay small light brown eggs, so I wouldn’t say it’s a perfect science!
As a breed, Whiting True Blues are newer, bred for high egg production and that fun, blue egg color.
They’re fast, flighty, and full of energy and honestly, I wouldn’t call them a kid-friendly chicken.
They really don’t like to be handled.
But they’re definitely interesting, and I get a lot of compliments and questions about them.
Suzie is the survivor of the group.
She’s made it through both a hawk attack and a fox attempt, and she’s still going strong.
She has this wild little forest fairy energy, always sneaking off into the trees and disappearing like a feathered sprite.
Speckled Sussex hens are a wonderful mix of tough and curious.
They’re always up to something, but they’re also people-friendly and tend to be one of the more kid-tolerant breeds.
Suzie isn’t the cuddliest hen I have, but she’s confident and calm around people, which makes her easy to be around.
They lay medium to large light brown eggs and are known to be steady layers, even through the colder months.
I love how their speckled feathers get more vibrant with each molt, like she’s always dressing up just a little fancier each season.
NEXT UP—the chicken coop!
Our coop is an 8×10 barn-shaped shed.
It’s had a few different paint jobs and designs over the years, and I’ll be honest: the little one-foot overhang I added to the front, thinking it would be a cute porch detail, mostly just collects poop.
But luckily, it has a rubber mat over it, so it’s easy enough to spray off with the hose.
The lean-to on the side is one of the chickens’ favorite spots.
They hang out in the shade there—and, hilariously, like to admire themselves in the side mirror.
My favorite feature is the DIY feeder setup: just plastic gutters screwed to the back and side walls.
No feed dishes to pick up when I mow or clean around the coop—game changer!
As for the interior, the nesting box used to be attached to the wall, but I moved it right down to the ground.
Now I can actually pull it out and pressure wash it when I do a full clean.
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The coop sits inside a 50×50 chain link enclosure, but we leave the gate open during the day so the chickens can free-range the property as they please.
Just a Few Favorite Coop Things
If you're curious about what I use around the coop, here are a few of my go-to items.
HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade - I use this as a helpful tool to sprinkle around the inside of the coops, and even lightly on the chickens—to help with creepy crawly bugs like mites and lice. It’s an easy, chemical-free way to support a healthier coop.
Chicken Water Heater Base - If you live in a cold climate, this is a simple solution for keeping water from freezing. Just set your poultry drinker—or even an ice cream pail—right on top. It makes winter chores so much easier!
Thank you so much for stopping by Farm Dust and Paint today.
It truly means the world to me and my little farm.
Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram @farmdustandpaint.
XOXO
Emily
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