Animals
- Chicken Movers
Yesterday was a big day for Rod Stewart and his hens.This group of chickens has called the chicken house and yard by the barn homefor the past 4 years.Yesterday was moving day. We decided that in preparation for housing our new young henswe would need...
- Rooster Update
Ending up with more roosters than we had planned on has given us a few challenges. We have experimented with living arrangements in an effort to keep all of our chickens happy and unstressed. What we have learned is this...... Some roosters are naturally...
- The Great Free-ranging Escapade
Well, Saturday was the big day. Since the fancy chickens are full grown and laying now, we decided to allow them to free range around the farm in the afternoons when they are finished laying. They have complete freedom until roosting time (nightfall)...
- Chicken Tales
You might remember last week's post about "pecking order". I had removed dear Babs from the fancy chicken henhouse because she was being picked on. Babs has made the transition to living with the young pullets quite nicely...and all is calm in that...
- Chicken Relocation Project
Well, it seems that 26 chicken poulets make quite a bit of dust when housed in one's garage....and so it was time to move the chicken babies to their new quarters. Mike and Becky have been housing these little gals first in their bathroom in horse...
Animals
Chicken Reorganization
Yesterday morning I decided it was time to start to move the "baby" chickens to their permanent home with my other layers. These "babies" were hatched in August and have lived in my smallest henhouse (which I use as a brooder house) since then. Now that they are almost full grown, that house has gotten a bit crowded.
So, yesterday morning I cleaned out my two largest henhouses, and covered their floors with fresh pine bedding. I spread fresh hay in their yard (chickens hate the snow) so that they would have warm, dry footing.
Then I gathered a couple pet carriers and headed to the "babies'" house. Catching these hens was the biggest challenge.
I snatched them, one at a time, clipped their primary wing feathers, and gently placed them in the pet carriers. Then we took off on the gator for their new accommodations.
I carried them up to the upper house and opened the carriers....out they spilled into their new spacious quarters. It took no time for them to acclimate themselves to their surroundings...finding both their water and food.
Elvis and a couple of the old girls stopped by for a visit. Elvis laid down the law and then went back to the lower henhouse.
I checked on the babies a couple of times during the day.
...all was fine. They even ventured outside their new house for a bite of scratch. By nightfall, all were tucked in securely....the old with the new. I breathed a sigh of relief....it seems that this has been a peaceful transition for all. We'll see how everybody looks this morning when I open up their henhouse for the day.
Babs and eleven other "babies" remain in the old henhouse....a much more manageable and comfortable number for the size of that house.
By the way, I think this chicken might be the rooster that I have heard crowing within the baby house....although I have never actually witnessed him doing so.
He has grown much larger than the rest and his feathers are much fancier.....time will tell for sure.
- Chicken Movers
Yesterday was a big day for Rod Stewart and his hens.This group of chickens has called the chicken house and yard by the barn homefor the past 4 years.Yesterday was moving day. We decided that in preparation for housing our new young henswe would need...
- Rooster Update
Ending up with more roosters than we had planned on has given us a few challenges. We have experimented with living arrangements in an effort to keep all of our chickens happy and unstressed. What we have learned is this...... Some roosters are naturally...
- The Great Free-ranging Escapade
Well, Saturday was the big day. Since the fancy chickens are full grown and laying now, we decided to allow them to free range around the farm in the afternoons when they are finished laying. They have complete freedom until roosting time (nightfall)...
- Chicken Tales
You might remember last week's post about "pecking order". I had removed dear Babs from the fancy chicken henhouse because she was being picked on. Babs has made the transition to living with the young pullets quite nicely...and all is calm in that...
- Chicken Relocation Project
Well, it seems that 26 chicken poulets make quite a bit of dust when housed in one's garage....and so it was time to move the chicken babies to their new quarters. Mike and Becky have been housing these little gals first in their bathroom in horse...