Happy Birthday, Critter Farm Chickens

Just one year ago, twelve chirping, busy, fluffy handfuls became a significant part of my life (3/07/08):

In less than three weeks, they preferred my lap to their brooder box (March):

Roxy took her role as guardian very seriously (April):

Fieldtrips outside were a cause for great excitement (April):

Then came the dawning realization of a rooster in our midst (April):

A milestone moment was the first roosting in the new coop outside (April):

Roxy did her best to keep everyone in line (April):

But the bigger they got, the bolder they became. This was a time of teenage chicken mayhem (May):

The month of May brought the first glimpse of new arrivals to the farm (May):

It also marked their first time being seen (May):

The first face-to-face meeting was a tentative one (June):

But the furry new guys were quite forward and became frequent visitors (June):

July brought the joy of the first egg (7/03/08):

And also a really big egg (July):

A really small egg (July):

A terribly dirty egg (July):

And those odd, spongy eggs (July):

Sparrow developed a bad habit of nestbox sleeping that needed breaking (July):

Our first goodbye was to Pip when he was rehomed to a farm with no other roosters (August):

The small perch over the window was a great idea...until everybody gained so much weight (September):

A chicken-sized door from the coop to the run was finally completed (September):

Which further increased young chicken independence, though my lap continued to be enjoyed at times (September):

The chicken door ramp was the completing piece to the coop (October):

Though Dottie still likes to try to fly in (October):

Their first fall brought the joy of tasty grape leaves (November):

Then came the scary white stuff (December):

Very few were brave (December):

Roopert the rooster has become a steadfast and diligent protector of the girls (January):

The older they get, the more helpful they become (February):

Already, a full year has gone by. The girls can be called pullets no more (3/07/09):

As of today, they are officially hens (3/07/09):