Duddy Birds

I hate to admit it, but this flock of little girls is a bit of a disappointment.  Oh, they'll plop out an egg now and then to earn their keep, and are very well mannered, but their entertainment factor is nearly nil.  They still spend most of their time in the coop and show no interest in making friends.  How can I discover their personalities and get them to tell me their names if I only see them clumped together in the coop?  Stanley is the only standout in the bunch, for obvious reasons.  The girls are, I'm sorry to say, conversational duds.

They had a flurry of excitement yesterday when I gave them some very stale hotdog buns for breakfast.  There was a lot of eating, but not much talking.  They also like alfalfa.  I'm not above bribery to get them outside for a while.  It's also a good way to use some of the alfalfa from bales destroyed by the vandals.

I wonder if these hens have taken a vow of silence, or perhaps Stanley is a tyrant who demands quiet.

Aha!  I may have to revise my prior opinions.  Through the wonders of the internet I just discovered that Delaware chickens are naturally one of the quietest of breeds.  I was wrong.  They are not duddy birds, it's just their nature.  I'm still disappointed.