Chickens!

I did a test post a few days ago and never got around to making the actual post, so here it goes. We also got new chickens this last year. We decided that our coop could handle more chickens (we were down to 8 hens and a rooster after a neighbor's dog visited our chicken coop). We originally got chickens three years ago and then added four more the next year. After three or four years, their egg production goes way down. So we decided that rather than trying to integrate new chickens in with our older flock, we would just get rid of our chickens and start over. We had tried to integrate before and the new chicken had ended up as dinner because my Rhode Island Reds wouldn't leave her alone and we didn't have accomodations for two separate flocks. This is one reason we decided not to get more Rhode Island Reds.

This is Sarah. She is a red sex-link. She was found by a friend and brought to us to integrate into our flock about two years ago. She is the one that kept getting picked on.

So, we ordered 26 chickens for us (20 hens, a rooster and 5 Cornish Cross for meat) and about 30 for a friend. I guess they had a huge demand on chickens this year, so we had to wait almost a month and a half before we got them. They were born June 11th and shipped out to us the next day. They were supposed to be here on Friday, the 13th, but ended up not making it until Saturday. Luckily we only had one die in transit. We hurried and dipped all of their beaks (they hadn't had anything to drink yet and that's how you train them to drink) and got them under a heat lamp. Unfortunately, we had quite a few more die that day from the stresses of shipping and getting here so late.

We somehow didn't end up with any pictures of our chickens as babies this year, but here is a picture of our Easter Eggers that we got two years ago (for those of you craving chick pictures).

This is our temporary setup for them. We took them down to my brother and sister-in-law to raise, so they were only in this box for a few days.

We kept them in a plastic swimming pool in our basement and my friend came and got his chickens the next day. We lost two of our Cornish Crosses, but they sent us and extra hen. So, supposedly we ended up with 10 Buff Orpington hens, 11 Easter Egger hens, 1 Easter Egger rooster, and 3 Cornish Crosses (more on that later). We had them in the swimming pool for about four weeks. Then they were big enough that they were wanting to fly out, and they were kicking bedding dust all over our basement; so we decided that it was time for them to go outside.

This was our setup the first time we ordered chicks. I think we originally had six RIR's (five of which ended up being roosters) and six Cornish Cross. We also ended up with one of what everyone told us was a runt Cornish Cross, but later we found out was our first Easter Egger, Tanny. We ordered another 5 RIR hens and culled 4 of the roosters. This brooder was one that Nathan made, but ended up with the Easter Eggers we took down to Utah. This is why we used the swimming pool (26 chicks wouldn't have fit in the brooder anyway).

Here are our first chicks inside the brooder. This was when they were just getting wing feathers and they look mangy.

Here are some RIR's playing on the teeter-totter.

The problem was, our other chickens were still in the coop. We were going to kill them, but decided that they were probably too old and tough to be worth it, so we put them on a freecycle site. They were picked up the next day by the wife of someone Nathan works with as an EMT and now live down the road and around the corner from us.

Here's Tanny in that awkward teenage stage.Jo holding an older RIR. I can't believe how small she was. She's only ever been afraid of the chickens when they've been broody and she's had to get the eggs from underneath them. She's so brave!!

After getting rid of the chickens, we took the babies outside (they looked SO tiny). They were so happy to have room to fly and started right away flying from one end of the coop to the other. They grew quickly and will be 20 weeks old tomorrow. I can't believe it.

Here's a picture of the chickens at the beginning of September.

And another one. Bet you can't guess which one is the rooster. He already thought he was all that.
And another one of Jo holding a chicken. This is one of the black and whites that I'm pretty sure is a rooster.

Chickens are supposed to start laying eggs between 18 and 24 weeks; most sources say between 18 and 20 weeks. We are still anxiously awaiting our first eggs. Knowing our luck, we'll probably get our first egg the day after our chickens turn 24 weeks. Like our lambs, our chickens don't know how to read and aren't sure when they are supposed to be laying.

Another problem that we have encountered is that I think we ended up with more than just one rooster. I know for a fact that one of our Buff Orpingtons is a rooster (we weren't supposed to have any Buff roosters). He is crowing and his comb and wattles are huge. But, I think that we have 3 or 4 Easter Egger roosters as well (we were only supposed to have one). I haven't heard them crowing yet, but their colors are amazing (one sign of a rooster) and their comb and wattles have been red for a while. I've been trying to convince myself that I just have quick developing hens, but if that was the case, I should have an egg or two by now. I think I need to stop with the denial and admit that I have 5 roosters. So, we'll probably be getting rid of 4 more chickens pretty soon. I'm sad because the 4 Easter Eggers that I think are roosters are my favorite chickens. One of them has been from the beginning. They really are beautiful.

Here are our chickens at the beginning of September. You can hear my "big boy" crowing. I don't know about anyone else, but I'd much rather hear a rooster crowing than a dog barking. I think it's funny that they'll allow barking dogs in the city, but not rooster. Just my 2 cents.

And last, but not least, these pictures were taken tonight (I had to get them while they were roosting or they won't hold still). These are two of my EE roosters. Aren't they gorgeous!! Anyone want a rooster?

So, that's our life with chickens so far. We have too many roosters and are waiting for the hens to realize they're hens.