Meet Mullet, a Barnyard Mix. Mullet hatched from one of our eggs. She gets her name from her hairdo, which most likely came from a Crested Cream Legbar. Her father was likely one of our bantams, since she is very small. She had an interesting origin.
Mullet was part of our Rent-a-Chick Hatch program, which allows families to hatch eggs in a small incubator and then raise them for a few weeks. The customer was given 10 eggs, and on 12 April 2022, 7 hatched! The customer was one of those moms that all the neighborhood kids flocked to. She said the chicks were for the kids, but we suspect they were mainly for herself.
At the end of the rental period, she asked if she could keep the chicks a few more weeks if she brought back the equipment. We agreed. Mullet and her brothers and sisters had another month of constant attention and pettings from all the kids in the neighborhood. The chicks were returned because the family had a scheduled vacation. Otherwise, I’m convinced they would still have them!
When people are around chickens for the first time, a comment we often hear is they never realized how much personality a chicken can have. When these chicks were returned, they were all very friendly, but Mullet was a standout. The other 6 faded into the fabric of the farm, but Mullet couldn’t get enough human attention.
When we walk the yard, Mullet follows us like a lost puppy. When we sit on the porch for a break, she’s on the table or in our lap. Pass out snacks and she’s definitely there! A few days ago, a family visited to drop off equipment. I went outside expecting them to be at the garage. Instead, they were sitting at the back of their minivan. Mullet ran to greet them by jumping in the van. I don’t care how big of a hurry you are in, there’s always time to pet a friendly chicken.
If you visit the farm, you’ll probably notice Mullet. She’s small, but will be the one at your feet, ready to jump on your shoulders. Take time to pet the friendly little girl with the funny hairdo.