We received 5 different breeds of chicks. Before they arrived, we learned a little about each type of chick and named them according to the things we learned. The 5 names we chose for our 5 different breeds of chicks represent the 4 Olympic Games cities I’ve competed in and the 2016 Olympic Games I will be going after.
Buff Orpington – Sydney (host of the 2000 Olympic Games in Australia)
We named this chicken Sydney because it is a very friendly breed, and Sydney was known as the “friendly” Olympic Games. Buff Orpingtons are the “Golden Retrievers” of Chickens. They are calm and affectionate. They are golden in color and lay brown eggs.
Barred Rock – Athens (host of the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece)
Our Barred Rock baby chick is actually the smallest of all the chicks. We’re not sure how she’ll grow, but we thought that naming her Athens would be ironic since the Athena division in triathlon is for women over a certain weight. It will be interesting to see if she remains on the smaller side, or if she begins to pass the others in size. The Barred Rock is also friendly and is a reliable brown egg producer.
New Hampshire Red – Beijing (host city of the 2008 Olympic Games China)
We named the New Hampshire Red Beijing because the color red has importance in Chinese culture. Red symbolizes good fortune and joy. The New Hampshire Red chick is yellow with a soft cast of red on her back. She will grow up to have a rich red hue. She lays brown eggs and supposedly can be competitive with other chickens. It will be interesting to see if this is the case.
White Leghorn – London (host city of the 2012 Olympic Games in England)
We named the White Leghorn, London because of her pure white color that reminded us of the queen and the royalty found in London. The White Leghorn will be a good egg layer, producing large white eggs like the kind you typically find in your grocery store.
Araucana/ Ameraucana – RIO (will be the host city of the 2016 Games in Brazil)
We named the Araucana/ Ameraucana RIO because she is very colorful. Not only are her feathers made up of a variety of colors, she lays colorful eggs! Yes, several of these chicks can lay an Easter basket full of green, blue, and even pink and yellow eggs. When we think of RIO and South America, we think of a lot of vibrant colors.