I saw some bantam Cochin chickens but I wanted the bigger ones. There was one person selling them. I bought all her hens and one rooster. So I came home with 4 chickens. The chicken lady lives in the town that I work in, I will talk to her later on this week and buy some more hens from her. I want 10 hens, not three.
Neilsville big claim to fame is the Worlds biggest talking cow! No, I did not pay the .25 to hear it talk. I'm cheap that way!
I brought back the chickens in my truck tote that I carry jumper cables, rope, jack, and other stuff in. I dumped that all out and put them it it and came home. I took this picture of them in the tote. The rooster had his wings out and the hens were under them. They were very docile. I just picked them out one by one and put them in the pen. Once in the pen the did some soft clucking and that was about it. I gave them food and water and they started to eat the food.
This one hen has a bare patch where she has been picked on. I think that it's from the rooster, which is why I need more hens! I will keep them in the pen for a few days and then let them go outside to be free range. I think that they will be happier being able to roam and scratch around.
I also put some wood shavings down so it's not bare cement floor. Needed something to absorb the chicken waste.
Cooool.
ReplyDeleteWhatcha gonna do with TEN hens? That's 10 or more eggs per day.
ps: Chatty Belle is worth the $.25.
ReplyDeleteMaybe next time.
That is so exciting. I agree with CVPH - maybe you only need 5 more - 8 - 10 eggs a day is a lot unless you plan on making quiche...lots. Or eggnog. That's nice of that Rooster to be so protective of his ladies. He's a good man.
ReplyDeleteA great day to be sure!
ReplyDeleteThey're beautiful. The rooster is gourgeous...congrats!
ReplyDeleteUm, yeah. I think that poor hen has been the rooster's "blow up doll" a wee bit too much. Sometimes, roosters will pick favorites and really only mate with that one hen. In those cases, it's best to find her a new, preferably sexless home. We had one that came to us missing all her back feathers and with several other broken feathers. It didn't get better. So, we took her away from the rooster and found her a nice, rooster-less home.
ReplyDeleteso now you are known as "mother hen" ???? he he he
ReplyDeleteS.
Thanks for the info OS, I will have to keep an eye on her and him.
ReplyDeleteI'm not 100% sure this is the problem.
I didn't know you were going to get mature chickens. Lot less work getting them past the growing stage. The days are nice enough now for them to be out. It's always funny to watch chickens scratching around looking for tasty tid bits.
ReplyDeleteI thought you were going to get chicks too.. do you have your first egg yet? You'll have to post a picture of it!!
ReplyDeletehas Harvey and Abby seen them yet?
ROse
I can't believe you didn't spend a whole 25 cents and listen to the cow!!! We had strickly laying hens, no roosters, growing up and some hens were picked on horribly by other hens.
ReplyDeleteI would have been to curious, I would have paid the quarter.
ReplyDeleteWord of advice for when you get more hens...introduce them to the flock when it's night time. Less chance of pecking and attacking each other.
nice flock.
Yes, yes, yes! 100% agree with Lisa. ALWAYS add your new flock members at night when they're all sleeping. That way, when they wake in the morning, it will seem as if the newcomer has always been there! It avoids pecking and fuss. Works like a charm for us here.
ReplyDeleteJust moved our peeps out into their new "apartment" in the coop since the boogers figured out how to hop outta the brooder box! It will be a while longer until they get to be loose in the chicken coop. I still have to keep them under lights a while longer yet.
When you do have some peeps, use a red heat lamp. It cuts down on pecking and canibalism.
Hmm... Maybe I should rename our coop "The Red Light District". lol