Rain and chickens??

[KristyAnn]

Mine are stubborn! They run around in the rain till it gets dark enough if I can't catch them in time.

 

[Sylvester017]

You seem to be straight on with your assessment of them as right now, even at about 10 wks of age, my Barred Rock kinda runs the show. She is def the leader of the two. She does everything first and at times she stands up tall and erect and flaps her wings at my EE showing dominance!! I haven't seen her peck her or anything though thank God. They were raised together from babies a week old. They seem to eat well together and roost together without any issues. I pray we continue this way!!

Amers and EEs can adapt to any flock temperaments around them. Hopefully your EE will get big enough not to be pushed around by the adult BR.

My egg-seller friend re-homed her BCMs and BRs because they were large and overly in charge in her egg-laying pen. They were big eaters and didn't give back enough eggs for feed consumed. Dual purpose birds are not the best egg layers so she's trimming down to the Leghorns and EEs for her eggs. The BCMs didn't lay dark enough to notice much difference from the other brown layer eggs so she's not replacing them. Currently her pushiest hen is a Buff Orp but not bad enough to remove her from the pen yet. She has 2 Marans left that are not nice in her flock (one is a Cuckoo Marans I re-homed to her and a Cuckoo of her own). The CM I gave her has grown HUGE roo-like spurs on her feet! The CMs are sneaky and quickly nip at the smaller gentler Leghorns and EEs and Amers in the egg laying pen. Leghorns are independent and kind of a mind-their-own-business kind of breed and EEs/Amers are as you know the sweethearts of a flock. I'm sure there are exceptions but that's just a general assessment of the breeds.

We had Leghorns on the farm and though not turkey-sized proportions Mom cooked them up for soups and stews. So I chuckle about dual-purpose birds for meat and eggs when we had Leghorn meals all the time. Mom started out with BRs and RIRs and switched to Babcock Leghorns to go easier on the feed bills.

My friend processes her excess EE cockerels for meat and they're just as big as her experimental Cornish X project she raised for meat.

As for rainy days, my friend keeps her hens enclosed so they don't have the option to forage in those conditions. I've been encouraging her to give them some range time but she doesn't have good enough safe fencing yet to let them out.

 

[DarleneE]

Ooooh MY I can't deal with even thinking about killing any chickens!! In fact I can't even eat chicken anymore since I got and raised my two girls. I'm not ignorant!! I am well aware that's a fact of life.. I just can't deal with hearing about it though. I'm a HUGE animal lover and just the thought of my birds being killed for "meat" sends me into a frenzy as they are my "pets".. strictly and ONLY!! To be honest, I could even care less about what they lay. I mean it'll be an added bonus but that's about it. I just care about my girls!!

 

[Sylvester017]

Ooooh MY I can't deal with even thinking about killing any chickens!! In fact I can't even eat chicken anymore since I got and raised my two girls. I'm not ignorant!! I am well aware that's a fact of life.. I just can't deal with hearing about it though. I'm a HUGE animal lover and just the thought of my birds being killed for "meat" sends me into a frenzy as they are my "pets".. strictly and ONLY!! To be honest, I could even care less about what they lay. I mean it'll be an added bonus but that's about it. I just care about my girls!!

You sound exactly like I was 3 years ago when we got our "pets" and we've eaten nothing but ground turkey mostly since getting our girls.

However, one self-sufficient homesteader put everything in perspective for me. She says it frosts her to see people dumping their spent domestic poultry and pets loose in her countryside as they can't fend for themselves and get torn up as prey, She found it more humane to raise her poultry until 2 to 3 years of age when egg laying slows down and while still healthy to have her dad help process them quickly. She says this way it provides food for the table while the birds are still healthy and they're organic. She says dumping them out to fend for themselves is not humane plus you've investing $$ in their care and feeding for all those years and why just give them away. Makes no sense to have them live to old age when they are either diseased or too ill with suffering to process for the table.

Yes, it's still hard to think of processing Gracie, Rosalie, or Sweetie Pie but have come to understand it may be more humane than letting them suffer in their old age. Chickens can live 12+ years and usually don't lay past 6 or 7 so I just may consider it with any older LF hens. I said I MIGHT consider it. We'll see.

Look at me talking - me, who just came from the vet's office with a bruised leg Silkie treated for $77.00 !!! She cost me $100 last October. Yes, they are still my babies and darn lucky to have me as their human - LOL.

 

[DarleneE]

Haha it sounds like you may be a "softie" as well!! NO to me that STILL makes no sense as I have no intention on just "letting them loose"??!! I will keep my girls to a ripe old age (if I'm so lucky as to have them live for as long!!) and when their time comes I'll know in my heart that I've given them the BEST home possible. I simply could NEVER NEVER even begin to swallow chicken that's been my "pet" .. all I'd do would be sit there and cry!! But that's ME and I believe to each their own. If she can do it then so be it. It's just NOT for me. I also again repeat that I'm not in this as a business where I must have eggs. I don't care if they NEVER lay an egg. Mine are strictly pets and pets they shall always remain in MY home!! However, please understand that I don't judge nor criticize what another does.

 

[autumn123]

It's good to know it won't harm them, but I don't know if my girls would like it. The coop, run, and small yard are covered during rain so I can keep the litter dry. For now, they only get out of their area in a temporary pen while I work outside 2-3 times per week. There are too many predators to let them free range. With the humidity here, I do everything possible to keep the coop moisture down.

 

[autumn123]

I probably wouldn't kill one of my hens myself, but once they are no longer laying, I will give it to a church nearby who knows poor homesteaders who will gladly process it for Sunday dinner. I don't have equipment, it's a lot of yucky work, and the ones (even organic) you can buy already done are cheap enough. I haven't bothered with raising chicks either. That said, if the economy tanks and our income plummets, I will do any and all of it to keep from starving.

 

[JennaLynn122]

I probably wouldn't kill one of my hens myself, but once they are no longer laying, I will give it to a church nearby who knows poor homesteaders who will gladly process it for Sunday dinner. I don't have equipment, it's a lot of yucky work, and the ones (even organic) you can buy already done are cheap enough. I haven't bothered with raising chicks either. That said, if the economy tanks and our income plummets, I will do any and all of it to keep from starving.  

If you have Amish around they will take the non-laying hens also. I think they have you pay 2$ a head though.

 

[Sylvester017]

If you have Amish around they will take the non-laying hens also. I think they have you pay 2$ a head though.

You mean you give them the hens for THEIR use but they still charge you $2 ? Or did you mean the Amish charge $2 to process the bird for YOU?

Our guy charges $5 (Calif charges more for EVERYTHING) but gives us back the processed bird - head, feet, and gizzards inclusive.

I probably wouldn't kill one of my hens myself, but once they are no longer laying, I will give it to a church nearby who knows poor homesteaders who will gladly process it for Sunday dinner. I don't have equipment, it's a lot of yucky work, and the ones (even organic) you can buy already done are cheap enough. I haven't bothered with raising chicks either. That said, if the economy tanks and our income plummets, I will do any and all of it to keep from starving.

X2

 

[Sylvester017]

It's good to know it won't harm them, but I don't know if my girls would like it. The coop, run, and small yard are covered during rain so I can keep the litter dry. For now, they only get out of their area in a temporary pen while I work outside 2-3 times per week. There are too many predators to let them free range. With the humidity here, I do everything possible to keep the coop moisture down.

No, rain won't hurt the girls but a soggy/moisture litter can so kudos to you for doing your best with your flock. We have to do what's best in our own individual environments.