Chicken Chat with Nike

Nike may be low chicken on the totem pole but that doesn’t keep her down. We brought her home on May 1, 2011 at 3 or so days old. The Easter Eggers were a week ahead of her but, she was the first one to chest bump Doris at 3 weeks old when they met for the first time. It was quite hilarious to see this tiny fluff ball run up to enormous Doris, chest bump her, and bounce right off. Doris was totally stunned and once she recovered gave her a quick peck. She hasn’t chest bumped her since.
Nike is a standard size Faverolles. She is mostly white with a tinge of salmon in her chest. One of the things that make her different from the other girls are her fifth toes, which you can see in this baby picture really well before her fluff grew in. Yep that’s two toes in the back on each side. Most chickens have four toes except for Faverolles, Silkies, Houdans, Dorking, and Sultans.
As the age groups have become more of a cohesive flock, it has become apparent that Nike is just in her own little world. Aphrodite will sometimes hang out with her but usually I find her hanging by herself doing her own thing. Like standing on one foot for as long as she can.

Her feathers are thick and compact. It’s hard to separate them to see her skin underneath. Which was how the lice got out of control in the summer. We tried the DE for weeks but, finally had to use the heavy duty poultry dust which killed off the ugly things. We now check regularly and fortunately the little visitors haven’t returned. The thick feathers do keep her warm though. Every night Betty bullies (well gives her a dirty look) her out of the coop and I find her outside on the run roost. Once it’s dark enough that they can’t see, I pick her up and put her on the roost in the house at the opposite end from Betty. Even on the most cold days her feet are nice and toasty when I pick her up to move her.  

Faverolles have a reputation for being docile and laid back. Nike avoids real conflict, I think the muff effects her peripheral vision. But she does love to be the last one out of the coop in the morning and run run run to the other side of the yard where the other girls are, make them all jump around and bump off each other and then run back to the opposite side of the yard and hang out on her own after she riled things up. It happens almost every morning. Then during treat time she will avoid the others in the run and eat in the house where I throw some treats for her and there is a separate feeder. Again avoiding the dirty looks from Betty.

We haven’t received any eggs yet and are hoping for some soon. Her comb is turning nice and red. She is eating a lot which is a good sign. Even though the muff sometimes gets in the way. We watch out for her, Betty has never hurt her, she’s more of a dirty look and warning peck kind of gal. Nike is just cautious.

I've linked this post up with Ms. Amy's Barnhop :)