A day to day following of my first 30'days with hens!

[nickellmama27]

Hey y'all! I'm Nikki, I live in northern Ohio. I'm new here on BYC but I feel right at home. We've had some chicken happenings here. First we had 3 chicks and Kylie my black lab made a snack of them at 4 weeks old. Still so sad but hey she's a bird dog.
So on to our little happenings at the Nickell Hobby Farm
Saturday night on the roost I picked up 7 hens from a friend of mine who lives right up the road a couple miles. Her husband was making her downsize her flock. They're all 1 year olds. I was only going to get 6, but I was mourning our chicks and decided to adopt one more.
Our Girls: Hedwig- Dominique
Luna- gold Laced Wyandotte
Lizzie- silver laced Wyandotte
Lucy- welsummer
Annabella- Australorp
Ginger- buff Orpington
Mrs. Henny Penny - blue EE, honestly she's the same color as a lavender Orpington. She's I think the flock boss

My daughters and I are loving our new adventure. I grew up on a pig farm, and I've always wanted a hobby farm. Well my chickens are the first step.

 

[nickellmama27]

Sunday 4/2
Our girls laid 4 eggs!!!! Not even 24 hours and left us 4 eggs!

Here is my oldest Kaelynn. She's a crazy chicken lady in the making

 

[nickellmama27]

Yesterday Monday we got 5 eggs and it stormed. Today is Tuesday. The girls laid 5 eggs and they're free ranging for the first time in my yard. They loved it!

 

[nickellmama27]

 

[nickellmama27]

The girls have been each laying almost daily, giving us 6-7 eggs a day! I'd say they're pretty happy. I'm learning their personalities. Ginger my buff Orpington is mouthy and bossy. Mrs Henny Penny my pretty EE is fun to watch. Yesterday Lucy, my welsummer, scared me. She decided to take a mid afternoon nap in the wood pile and looked dead. All I could see were her tail feathers. She looked at me like what Mom when I picked her up. My daughters have become obsessed with their new pets. My 4 year old
Tells her chicken Annabella (Australorp) good morning and good night every day.

 

[twigcrafter]

awwwww!,
I taught my grand daughters to say "thank you ladies" when they collect eggs.

Sounds like you're on the country tract with you mini farm.

FYI chickens are a gate way animal sssh.

 

[drumstick diva]

Chickens ARE the gateway to ducks, geese, swans, emus, goat, sheep, cattle, OH MY!! You daughter is adorable

 

[nickellmama27]

The girls laid 5 eggs yesterday. Mrs Henny Penny is a consistent daily layer! We've got snow here in Ohio. The girls are not happy and huddled up in the coop with some disapproving clucks last night

 

[nickellmama27]

I'd love my own little farm one day

 

[nickellmama27]

Yesterday (Friday the 6th) the girls laid 4
Eggs, it was
Snowy and cold
So they spent the day in the coopmwhile I was at work. Right now they free range. Well that's about to get reduced in space. They're tearing up my flower beds. While the weed control is good, not my idea of their dust bath. Today is Saturday and it's 55 degrees and sunny. The snow is slowly melting and almost
Gone. I really hope it disappears for the season now. The girls have been out about 4 hours now and are quite happy. In fact they greeted me at the back door

Kylie my lab is getting used to them, she didn't chase them today so that is progress. Luna my GL Wyandotte is thinking about going broody. I'm undecided on if I'll let her sit or not. These girls came from a home with a beautiful rooster and are most likely still fertile. He was part brahma

I have some wooden eggs I was wanting to put in the coop so maybe someone would
Go broody but the whole hatching thing makes me nervous.
I'll be cleaning the coop out today and adding sand to the bottom floor that's went to mud in a week. The girls laid 5 eggs so far today