Today’s chicken corner brings back a pair I’ve introduced before: the Othello twins, Othello White and Othello Black. They have grown into absolute giants.
Meet the Othello Bros.
These two are the children of a wild hen that hung around the fighting-chicken farm next door. That wild hen was mostly fighting-chicken blood herself, so these two are about 90% fighting chicken. That’s why they are so big.
Last time I mentioned their long legs. They still have long legs, and now they look like models. They only came to us as half-grown chicks, so they aren’t very attached to me, and they’re grumbling a little right now.
Othello Black is black with a white pattern, and Othello White is white with a black pattern: exact opposites. Their bellies show the reversal best. They look alike, but they don’t look alike!
Both are well socialized, very calm, good boys. White can be a little naughty now and then, but he’s all right. I think they’re about 4 kilos each, and it’s all muscle. I’m so glad they’ve both grown up so beautifully. Please keep being gentle and don’t fight!
Hibiscus for the rabbits
It’s pouring today, and lots of hibiscus flowers have wilted, so I’m giving them to the rabbits. The big one is Yukimi Daifuku, also known as Danko. Did you know rabbits eat hibiscus? There’s pollen on a little nose. A cat watches over them. In their previous home there were cats wandering around too, so the rabbits are used to cats.
Succulents and a new field
Actually, I’ve been growing succulents. In the right environment they grow without much fuss, so I’m testing whether they could help pay for chicken feed. They seem to be growing quite well. High hopes!
I’m also making a new field here. Our old main field will become a playground for the chickens, and the important plants will move over to the new one. With the new playground, the chickens’ space will roughly double.
The rainy season
Winter in Hawaii is the rainy season. Some years it pours, some years it hardly rains, and this year it’s been very wet. When the playground can’t dry out, the chickens get dirty, so I washed the muddiest ones the other day. They dislike it at first, but staying muddy isn’t good for them. Luckily the soil in the coop is soft and fluffy, so they don’t seem to mind staying indoors.
The ducks, by the way, prefer the rain and look like they’re having a blast. Everyone has different tastes, but I still like sunny days best.
Thanks for watching Chicken Paradise Hawaii! See you in the next episode.