Gilly (short for Gillyweed) was hatched in the spring of 2018 and came to live with us later that summer. She is named after the mythical plant from Harry Potter because of her habit of talking (quacking) underwater. Stubborn and independent, she doesn’t seem to acknowledge the existence of a pecking order. Gilly is often off on her own looking for worms and bugs while her friends rest. We think Gilly is a Cayuga, and coming in at a measly 3 pounds, she relies mostly on her sassy attitude to get what she wants. Think of her like Danny Devito, but if he laid eggs.

Chelan is a male Welsh Harlequin, though we did not know he was a male when he came to live with us, but we’ve come to love him all the same despite his lackluster egg production. Chelan likes to pretend he is in charge, but really he is only in charge when his ladies allow. He is named after Lake Chelan which is near North Cascades National Park in Washington State. Chelan gets very excited when he knows treats are coming and will fly to greet us at the door OR do a side-step dance. He gets a little nippy and doesn’t like being picked up. He’s a butthead, but he loves us.

Lefse is also a Welsh Harelquin like Chelan. However, unlike the rest of the flock, she came to live with us when she was just a few days old. Her favorite treat is tomatoes, and she will chase them down if you roll them for her. She is named for her cream colored plumage with some light brown sprinkles of cinnamon. Lefse had a sister, Anka (Swedish for ‘duck’) that passed away in 2022. The two of them would waddle around the yard side by side telling jokes and making friends with the neighborhood bunnies. Lefse comes inside with us from time to time to cuddle and gossip.

Cooper is an honorary member of our flock. He spent a great deal of time both with chickens and ducks. They shared food, water, and sometimes toys. Cooper always got along with all members of our multi-species family. His calm and gentle demeanor made him a great companion to our flock. Unfortunately, Cooper passed away in 2022 after a battle with cancer. We miss our best buddy, and have since erected a ‘Pet Trading Post’ on the corner of our property to spread Cooper’s love and joy to our larger community. You can read more about him and ‘Cooper’s Quick Stop’ here.