The Third Age

Earlier this month, 40 baby chicks arrived at Walnut Grove from Murray McMurray Hatchery in Iowa. They are a motley crew of classics and rare breeds: Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons (gold), Dominques (or "Domineckers," as we call them here in Appalachia), Araucanas (the green egg layers), Delawares (white), Cuckoo Marans (a dark brown egg layer from France), and Silver Grey Dorkings (an old breed from England). Lance immediately took to the Dorkings, and he made it a habit of singing "The Dorking Song" to them every time he went into the coop. (FYI: "The Dorking Song" is basically the word "dork" sung to the tune of "Surry with a Fringe on Top" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway play "Oklahoma.") Though certainly not Mozart, "The Dorking Song" had a positive effect on the little diddles, and now, one of the Dorkings--"Dora"--jumps into our hand every time we open the brooder. Looks like she will follow in the footsteps of Henny Penny and Lance Jr. and will soon be foraging for worms at my side as I dig in the garden.

We have dubbed this generation of chicks "The Third Age"--in reference to J.R.R. Tolkein's "The Lord of the Rings." The First Age, lead by Henny Penny, included our very first chickens--the Black Giants from Uncle Baker and the Rhode Island Reds and Golden Laced Wyandottes from Uncle Lawrence and Aunt Betty. The Second Age, originally led by Lance Jr, and now by Galadriel, included the first batch of chicks we ordered from Murray McMurray back in 2005. Petie, the rooster I "inherited" from my Uncle David when he died, is still the proud patriarch.

Pictures: (1) Dorkings and Araucanas in the brooder, (2) Dora