Animals
- In Need Of A Makeover!
Sadly, the farm and most of its inhabitants are looking a little rough these days.Winter has taken its toll. From brown, muddy pastures....in need of re-seeding. Piles of stones left from snowplows...in need of a clean-up. To molting chickens....only...
- The Nitty Gritty
This post may be old news to you who have your own chickens,but to you who do not....well....a little chicken education.(and hopefully not as gross as the past two days, right?) I thought today we might explore the digestive system of the chicken.Fun,...
- Turkens
Meet IvankaAnd NatashaIt has been a while since I have shown you a picture of the turkens (Transylvanian naked neck chickens). They are almost full grown now and have their adult feathers. Surprisingly, turkens are very hardy chickens....and these gals...
- Cat Tales
It has always been my impression that cats are at least mildy afraid of water...or perhaps just averse to it. That doesn't seem to be the case with TomTom or Bobby. Both of them are always right there with their faces in the buckets as we are filling...
- Not All Chicks Are The Same!!
Last week we had a chicken tragedy. It seems, that at some point in the evening as the chickens were out free-ranging, two of the neighbors' dogs came onto our farm and had a killing spree. Several of our beautiful layers fell prey to these frenzied,...
Animals
Molting Chickens and Other Curiosities
See the button on the right....and join my friends and I for
Farm Friends Friday!
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Molting Chickens
Yesterday's post prompted several questions about molting chickens.
There is nothing more shocking to a new chicken owner
than the sight of a previously beautiful hen....
who has morphed into this monstrosity!
Gasp!
Molting is a completely normal phase that chickens go through at about 12 to 18 months of age and then every year after that. It is the chicken's way of "changing her clothes"...very slowly. The molting chicken will lose many or most of her feathers in order to replace them with new, stronger feathers.
This process can take 2 to 4 months from start to finish. Feathers take about 9 weeks to grow full length. Because a feather is 85% protein, a hen will use up most of her energy in feather production instead of egg production. Most hens stop laying during a molt for this reason. I have read that it is beneficial to feed a high protein diet during this time, and some sources have stated that dry cat food is a good supplement to their regular laying feed. Feeding less scratch is a good idea, as scratch is a lower protein food and may end up being a "snack" that takes the place of a more needed protein meal.
**********
Is there anything better than fresh, clean water??
Surf's up!
Yesterday, while cleaning and refilling the Bigs' water tank,
I was busy in the Littles' dry lot;
when all of a sudden I heard the water tank overflowing.
Thankfully, Bobby was there....
lapping up the water as fast as he could....
so that none of it went to waste.
Bobby is always first in line for a drink when the hose comes out.
The reason that the tank overflowed
was because I was in with the Littles watching this scene....
Sam: "Hey Ollie, wanna chase me?"
Ollie: "MOM....Sam's bugging me...AGAIN!"
Ya just gotta love little boys!
- In Need Of A Makeover!
Sadly, the farm and most of its inhabitants are looking a little rough these days.Winter has taken its toll. From brown, muddy pastures....in need of re-seeding. Piles of stones left from snowplows...in need of a clean-up. To molting chickens....only...
- The Nitty Gritty
This post may be old news to you who have your own chickens,but to you who do not....well....a little chicken education.(and hopefully not as gross as the past two days, right?) I thought today we might explore the digestive system of the chicken.Fun,...
- Turkens
Meet IvankaAnd NatashaIt has been a while since I have shown you a picture of the turkens (Transylvanian naked neck chickens). They are almost full grown now and have their adult feathers. Surprisingly, turkens are very hardy chickens....and these gals...
- Cat Tales
It has always been my impression that cats are at least mildy afraid of water...or perhaps just averse to it. That doesn't seem to be the case with TomTom or Bobby. Both of them are always right there with their faces in the buckets as we are filling...
- Not All Chicks Are The Same!!
Last week we had a chicken tragedy. It seems, that at some point in the evening as the chickens were out free-ranging, two of the neighbors' dogs came onto our farm and had a killing spree. Several of our beautiful layers fell prey to these frenzied,...