Er a ER a ERRRRRR, that all too familiar sound when you have too many roosters. Eight out of 18 and soon to be none after my HennyPenny got hurt yesterday.
2011-11-05 Here I am joining the BYC under less than desirable condition because my hen has been hurt, but I hope to utilize this site under much more pleasant circumstances in the future. My name is Margie K. and I live in rural Sheridan, OR. I came about owning chickens last winter when my renters left two roosters and three hens free ranging when they moved out. Thus I caught, relocated, and cared for them. Catching them was a task in itself! Since that time, I have one hen (the hurt one) left from the original group. Last spring she disappeared and unbeknownst to us she had laid eggs (29) in a hidden spot in the barn and set on them. Six hatched (thank goodness only six), and we were on our way to raising chickens, expanding our flock. A friend thought we needed more so he tried to incubate some of our Barred Rock and Cochin hen eggs and some of his friend's Aracauna eggs. Well, before we knew it....hatchlings were successful and we had 29 chickens/chicks. Thus as they grew up we had Waytoomanyroosters until a week ago. At this time we have two Aracaua and I am thinking that is two too many with what just happened to my hen!
I never realized the breeds do not intermingle. We have a large pen and a nice hen house but when one breed uses the house no other breed uses it. We will have to make rooms for them in the pen for the various breeds I guess. Here are a few pictures of the chicken family. We recently lost Arnold (RIP), he was the rock of the chickens. He counted them all each night before turning in and kept them aware of hawks in the area.
Arnold (RIP)
Here it is a New Year, 2012, and having reduced the rooster population to two very nice (Aracauna), 4 beautiful Aracauna hens, three Cochin hens and Henny Penny, the Barred Rock survivor, life is good in the hen house. It's amazing how you can have such a nice house and have only two chickens using it! The Aracauna prefer the leafless walnut tree in the chicken pen for roosting whether it be wind, driving rain, or freezing cold! They have lots of options but are quite obstinate. Now Henny Penny & Oprah are the smart two...they took up winter in the barn. After Henny was doctored there she refused to leave with her friend and became quite comfortable. So be it until spring I guess. It gets wet in Oregon and they like it dry apparently. All the chickens have their hen sessions out there in the daytime and kick up a little dirt and raise some heck. They are happy because they have been giving me lots of beautiful colored eggs, and big ones at tht, except for the one mutated one.
2011-11-05 Here I am joining the BYC under less than desirable condition because my hen has been hurt, but I hope to utilize this site under much more pleasant circumstances in the future. My name is Margie K. and I live in rural Sheridan, OR. I came about owning chickens last winter when my renters left two roosters and three hens free ranging when they moved out. Thus I caught, relocated, and cared for them. Catching them was a task in itself! Since that time, I have one hen (the hurt one) left from the original group. Last spring she disappeared and unbeknownst to us she had laid eggs (29) in a hidden spot in the barn and set on them. Six hatched (thank goodness only six), and we were on our way to raising chickens, expanding our flock. A friend thought we needed more so he tried to incubate some of our Barred Rock and Cochin hen eggs and some of his friend's Aracauna eggs. Well, before we knew it....hatchlings were successful and we had 29 chickens/chicks. Thus as they grew up we had Waytoomanyroosters until a week ago. At this time we have two Aracaua and I am thinking that is two too many with what just happened to my hen!
I never realized the breeds do not intermingle. We have a large pen and a nice hen house but when one breed uses the house no other breed uses it. We will have to make rooms for them in the pen for the various breeds I guess. Here are a few pictures of the chicken family. We recently lost Arnold (RIP), he was the rock of the chickens. He counted them all each night before turning in and kept them aware of hawks in the area.
Arnold (RIP)
Here it is a New Year, 2012, and having reduced the rooster population to two very nice (Aracauna), 4 beautiful Aracauna hens, three Cochin hens and Henny Penny, the Barred Rock survivor, life is good in the hen house. It's amazing how you can have such a nice house and have only two chickens using it! The Aracauna prefer the leafless walnut tree in the chicken pen for roosting whether it be wind, driving rain, or freezing cold! They have lots of options but are quite obstinate. Now Henny Penny & Oprah are the smart two...they took up winter in the barn. After Henny was doctored there she refused to leave with her friend and became quite comfortable. So be it until spring I guess. It gets wet in Oregon and they like it dry apparently. All the chickens have their hen sessions out there in the daytime and kick up a little dirt and raise some heck. They are happy because they have been giving me lots of beautiful colored eggs, and big ones at tht, except for the one mutated one.