Welcome, Ladies! The Cinnamon Queens are here

I'd never heard of Cinnamon Queens before.  (The name sounds like a drag show in New Orleans or something).  But once I looked up the name and found out what they really are, I was thrilled to be getting a boxful of them.

These gals are half Rhode Island Red and half Rhode Island White.  

Our first hens were dainty reds, and since then, we have had many other occupants of the coop. But none of the newcomers ever measured up to the sweet nature of the little red hens we started out with.  

(You can see how clean and pretty the coop used to be and how happy we were when the very first red beauties came to live with us here.)

I'd been excited to get some pretty blue eggs and we switched to Ameraucanas for the color.  We also got a few other breeds, including red and black sex links.  None were friendly, no matter how hard I tried.  Each time I'd go into their home, they'd act like I could only be there to butcher them, not feed and pet them.  

They were loud, big, and nervous.  And big hens mean bigger piles to be left behind, so stinkier too.

Here is one of the unfriendly ones. Doesn't she have a look in her eye that says she isn't very trusting??

And here is one of the new girls.  She looks bright, curious, and sweet.  

As we opened the cage and let them out, they didn't make a sound, no screeching in terror (like the other chickens do when anything changes, if feed them, if I look at them, if the door opens, etc), no flapping around and trying to escape, no distrust at all.  Each one started to explore their new space and seemed to be adjusting just fine.

Now, this behavior is not due to the farm they came from.  For the last few years, we have dealt with a nice family who raises birds, and buy a few hens from the same place each time.  The difference seems to be the breed, not the people who bred them.

Not that I'm giving up on the other chickens. They will always have a home here, and I will pet their heads and rub their warm tummies when I get eggs from them.  I keep trying to convince them that I am their friend.  

They don't believe me so far.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Cinnamon Queens will prove to be better pets for me.  If they aren't, well, I hear that they are excellent layers, with extra large eggs, so that isn't so bad.  I'm glad that they are here.

And if they decided that they want to perform some sort of drag show/dance review that suits the name  "Cinnamon Queens", I'm going to be supportive.  If they do, I think they might need some sort of Moulin Rouge style individual names, right?   Here are some from the movie that I think will suit them:

Satine

Baby Doll

La Petite Princesse

Nini

Antionette

Pearly Queen