Aliens in our Backyard

OK. So there aren't really aliens in our backyard, but that sounded so much better than Animals in our Backyard. And sometimes the animals act like they are from outer space, so I'm sticking to the Alien title.

Introducing....

Yukon. Our Retriever/Lab mix. He's a great dog, loves to go for walks, play with the kids, guard us from Mountain Lions...

Agate, our half wild cat that Yukon found on one of our walks up the canyon a few years ago.

Sir Galihad, or Hadley for short. He is the king cat. A great mouser/bird killer :( Doesn't like Agate, and chases her off the property whenever he gets the chance.
The flock. We have 11 hens and 2 roosters.
This is King Henry. His name says it all- He rules the roost. Except when he's not watching closely and Wilber sneaks privileges with the Hens. King Henry gets FURIOUS when that happens and chases poor Wilber away.
Wilber is a lone rooster, shunned by the Flock. He's at the bottom of the pecking order. I'd feel sorry for him, but at least he's alive. He was abandoned up the canyon, and our neighbor's dad's dog found him and took a bite out of him before the Dad saved him and dumped him over the fence into our yard. So he's really lucky to have such a nice safe place to live, even if he is the outcast. And he is pretty good at sneaking privileges, so don't feel too sorry for him.

Pop Quiz!

As school is getting back in session, I thought I'd put together a little "pop quiz" to test your knowledge of Gallus gallus, the domestic chicken. I've finally--after six months-- identified all of the breeds we have in our backyard flock. They're arranged in order of difficulty. Got your breed book handy?


1) This well-known classic is an American original. We have only one.
Hint 1) Note the dark red color, rectagular body, and small single comb.
Hint 2) Named after the state in New England where they were developed

2) A little more difficult, this is another American bird. We have four in our flock.

Hint 1) It's not a White Leghorn. Note the bird's short tail and horizontal back. (Also note it's large, meaty size. It's used as parent stock for commercial broiler chicks.)

Hint 2) Grandma's dad used to raise this variety in Wilford.
Hint 3) The best-known color of this breed is "barred"

3) Originally from India, this breed is part of the Asiatic class. It's considered a "rare variety" We have three of these hens and one rooster.

Hint 1) Note the feathered legs, darker head, and large overall size of the bird.

Hint 2) The breed shares its name with ill-tempered, humpbacked cattle from the same region. The breed is popular as roughstock at rodeos. (Umm... the bulls, not the chicken).

4) This is the hardest one. This smallish bird is "Mediterranean class," and is very athletic. The gray color is called "blue," and despite the two-toned feathers, it's not a Barred, Silver-laced, or spangled anything. It's considered a rare breed. (I got them by requesting "any laying variety" from the hatchery.)

Hint 1) Note the white ears, long upright tail, large single comb, and gray legs and beak. It also has darker feathers around the head.

Hint 2) Named for a province in Spain.

Trivia) Gregor Mendel used the breed to establish the first rules of genetics with dominant and recessive genes. There are three varieties (black, white, and blue). The blue is obtained by crossing the black variety with the white, with the resulting chicks being a ratio of one black, one white, and two blue. Crossing two blues will result in the same combination.

5)Extra Credit: Our rooster, who luckily doesn't crow too loudly, needs a name. (Any answer is right on this one!)

I'll post the correct answers next week.