This LAST Hen is Reported to be an 8-month old Black Australorp - What Say You?

[SavorChick]

Breed, Gender and Age, please.
The soles of her feet are not yellow.






Thanks in advance.

 

[Michael OShay]

She's a Black Australorp pullet close to laying; I would guess a little younger than 8 months.

 

[drumstick diva]

x2

 

[SavorChick]

Thanks Michael and Diva.

How about some advice on not adding more to our flock. We planned to start small with four. Go figure.

 

[mymilliefleur]

Black Australorp hen.

 

[Michael OShay]

Thanks Michael and Diva.

How about some advice on not adding more to our flock. We planned to start small with four. Go figure.

You're welcome. You can add as many as you like to the flock as long as they are approximately the same size as the ones you already have and you have the coop space to handle them so that they are not overcrowded. If you do add more to the flock, just be sure and do so slowly and carefully using the "look but don't touch" method. There's a good article at https://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/introducing-new-chickens/ explaining how to do it.

 

[SavorChick]

You're welcome. You can add as many as you like to the flock as long as they are approximately the same size as the ones you already have and you have the coop space to handle them so that they are not overcrowded. If you do add more to the flock, just be sure and do so slowly and carefully using the "look but don't touch" method. There's a good article at https://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/introducing-new-chickens/ explaining how to do it.

Thanks Michael and Diva.

How about some advice on not adding more to our flock. We planned to start small with four. Go figure.

Thanks for the article. BUT... they keep multiplying.

 

[Michael OShay]

Thanks Michael and Diva.

How about some advice on not adding more to our flock. We planned to start small with four. Go figure.

Thanks for the article. BUT... they keep multiplying.

I'm not certain why they are multiplying unless you have a rooster. If so, remove the rooster and they will stop multiplying. It's fine for you to have a flock of four (or even less) as long as they are all hens, but if you're keeping a rooster you need more hens as the recommended ratio of roosters to hens is 1 rooster for every 10 hens. As they mature and their hormones kick in, too many roosters (or too few hens) will become very hard physically on your hens, over-breeding them, biting and plucking the feathers from their necks and backs, battering them, and potentially, seriously injuring them. The only reason you really need a rooster is to fertilize eggs for hatching which is exactly what it sounds like you don't want to do. Of course if you only want to hatch a few chicks on occasion, you can always keep the rooster separated from the hens where they can see each other but not make contact and then let the rooster in with the hens for a very short amount of time--just enough to fertilize the eggs you want to hatch.

 

[SavorChick]

I'm not certain why they are multiplying unless you have a rooster.

The question was an attempt at humor. They are multiplying via chicken math. We began with two chicks less than a month ago and then there were 10.

 

[Michael OShay]

The question was an attempt at humor. They are multiplying via chicken math. We began with two chicks less than a month ago and then there were 10.

LOL! Gotcha. Very few BYC members are immune to "chicken math." )