No farmstead would be complete without chickens. Chickens were the first animal we added to The Creek Top and truly set us off on our mountain adventure. We started with a few random chickens we could find in town, but they did not always deal well with our altitude and fickle weather. In our hunt for new breeds we discovered that Dr. Tom Whiting, one of the world’s most renowned poultry geneticists, not only lives in Colorado but had recently developed a new breed that was exactly the bird we needed. So we drove 10 hours to Delta, Colorado and back specifically to get his birds and came home with Whiting True Blues and True Greens! 

 

The Whiting True Blues are one of the few chickens that will lay blue eggs each generation. This allows us to select for bigger and bluer eggs each year. They will lay approximately 280-300 eggs a year in their prime laying years. One of the things we really like about these birds is that they have no color or pattern, giving great variety to the flock. 

 

The Whiting True Greens are powerhouse layers producing what seems like endless eggs (probably 300 a year). Both the Greens and Blues are inquisitive birds that do well ranging on our mountain. Of course, just like anyone who’s experienced chicken math, we always have the odd new bird in residence - our personal favorites have been the Brahams and Faverolles but they struggle enough in the summer heat that we keep a very limited number.