Phoenix Chickens Join My Flock
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, I love going down to visit the chickens - especially when there are young, precious chicks in residence.
Now that I am spending so much time at home, I make it a point to visit all of my pets every single day. Right now, I have six Phoenix chicks at the farm. The Phoenix is a German breed of long-tailed chicken. These youngsters are a couple of months old and they are all healthy, happy, and thriving in my "nursery" coop.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Several weeks ago, I acquired six gorgeous Phoenix chicks. Whenever chicks are at the farm, they spend their first weeks in my Winter House, where they can be closely monitored. I place a big crate down in my heated basement – everyone who works at the farm is always eager to visit the babies. These chicks are already very curious.
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- Phoenix chickens are very gentle, shy birds, but because they are raised around a lot of activity and people here at the farm, my chickens are always well-socialized and friendly.
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- The Phoenix chicken is a beautiful long tailed chicken breed originating in Europe. Hugo du Roi who was the first president of the National German Poultry Association created the Phoenix chicken in the late 19th century.
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- Numerous chicken breeds were used for create the Phoenix. A few delicate imported long tailed Japanese birds were cross-bred with some other breeds including the Leghorn, Yokohama, Combattant de Bruges Kruper, Old English Game, Modern Game, Bruegge Game, Ramelsloher, and Malay chicken.
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- While they are here in my basement, these youngsters are checked several times a day. They are fed a good chick starter filled with protein for weight gain and muscle development, plus vitamins and minerals to keep them healthy and to build their immune systems. These chicks will stay on their starter food until about eight weeks of age. They are very good eaters.
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- It’s always important to show all new birds, especially chicks, where their food and water are located, so they know right away where to go.
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- The chicks are very eager to explore their surroundings. Chickens have their own personalities – some are more active or more curious than others.
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- The Phoenix chicken is an alert breed with a pheasant-like appearance. The chicks are hardy, but require extra protein when their tails are growing.
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- After about three weeks, they go down to a brooder in one of the coops – half of the coop is sectioned off just for these babies until they are old enough and big enough to go outdoors and mingle with the others.
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- Look how much they’ve grown. Look closely – they have dark reddish-brown eyes and their earlobes are strikingly white.
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- Their single combs include five well defined upright points. Their wattles are medium size in males and small in females.
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- The Phoenix chicken is a very active breed with excellent flight skills. They are also very good foragers. These chicks are already foraging around their enclosure.
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- Their beak has shades of horn. Their feet and shanks are clean and smooth and are anywhere from a light to a dark blue or slate color.
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- When full grown, the standard Phoenix rooster weighs about five pounds and hens about four pounds.
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- Phoenix hens are good layers of small to medium sized cream or tinted colored eggs. These hens should start laying their first eggs at about 18 to 20 weeks of age.
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- Outside the “nursery” are two Guinea fowl on the roof of one of the geese shelters. Guinea fowl are seed- and-insect-eating birds that love ticks, flies, maggots, and other pesky bugs. The head and neck area of a Guinea is bare, which helps to regulate temperature. They are not too fond of the cold, but they are hardy and can live well in nearly every climate.
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- Here is another perched on a log. Guinea fowl weigh about four-pounds fully grown. With short, rounded wings and short tails, these birds look oval-shaped. Their beaks are short but curved and very stout.
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- I have 17 geese including Eastern European Sebastopol geese, French Toulouse geese, African geese, Chinese geese, and of course, my two Pomeranian guard geese. And, all of them get along so well.
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- Here are my two Pomeranians rushing to see what is going on – naturally territorial, geese fit easily into the guardian role and don’t need any training in how to protect.
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- Here is an Ayam Cemani on the left – an uncommon and relatively modern breed of chicken from Indonesia. This breed has a dominant gene that causes hyperpigmentation, making it entirely black, including feathers, beak, and internal organs. But, hens lay cream colored eggs. On the right is another Guinea hen. Guineas are highly social, but more so with their own kind; where one goes, they all go. If one gets lost it will call out until the flock comes to find it. And Guinea fowl are noisy. I can often hear them all the way from my Winter House.
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- I’ve raised many different chicken breeds and varieties over the years – they are all so beautiful to observe. I am fascinated by their many colors and feather patterns.
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- Here is a hen in one of the nesting boxes waiting to lay an egg. Each box is 12-inches wide by 13-inches tall – perfect for each hen to nest comfortably. Hens lay eggs throughout the year; the color of their shells varies by the chicken breed.
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- Chickens are not difficult to keep, but it does take time, commitment and a good understanding of animal husbandry to do it well. Before choosing to raise chickens, always check with local planning and zoning authorities to be sure chickens are allowed in your area.
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- It’s always such a joy to see the animals at my farm thriving. At night, all the chickens are put inside their coops – safe from any predators. See you in the morning, my dear chickens.
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