Arizona Chickens

[Mama Hen Chris]

I don't see those sickle shaped feathers that roosters sport. My money says it is a hen. How old are they now? Sometimes when you have a hen only flock, one of the hens gets kind of kinky and mounts lesser ranking hens. My wife doesn't understand about that stuff; she thinks it is weird and disgusting. I tell her to go back into the house and watch her television.

Frankly, I think a flock does better when there is a rooster.

They will be 14 weeks on Wednesday.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

Well, the new girl got along fine last night but as soon as I let them out this morning, the others were after her. I scooped her up out of a corner and boxed her while I rigged one of the nesting boxes closed. She now has a 36"x18" box with a view thru the coop door. She has her own food an water.
Someone got her pretty good at some point. She had a little blood on her leg. She's ok though, just scared.
My bad. How long do you think I should keep her apart from the flock?

Here's Sasha and that's Nugget, the biggest BO girl we have.

Poor baby....she needs a couple friends her age.

 

[MaddBaggins]

Poor baby....she needs a couple friends her age.

They're only 2 weeks different at this point, but the difference is huge.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

They're only 2 weeks different at this point, but the difference is huge

I figure if she had a friend her age they would do better with the bigger gals. Is there a pullet that gets along with her that you can put with her now? Then after a few days you can let them be with the rest of the flock.

 

[Demosthine]

As of last night, it's absolutely official. CHICKEN MATH has struck!!! My wife bought two New Hampshire pullets and a New Hampshire roo. We're really hoping he grows up to be quiet and docile, because I would love to have a roo and be able to breed them. That breed is absolutely beautiful. They are about 3 1/2 weeks old at the moment. I don't have photos yet because we got home late last night and Cindy pulled the ad off Craig's List. Hopefully, my wife will post some today or I can when I get home from work.

She also bought the Birchen Maran that she had. I have no idea how old she is, but she's supposed to be laying. We probably won't see those eggs for a few days because of the stress of relocating. She is named Batman and my family opposed me re-naming her Cat Woman. So she'll be a gender confused chicken, kind of like Mama Hen's crowing hen...

​

I did break protocol and put them all in with my flock last night. I had checked them over pretty thoroughly and they were all perfectly clean and looked very healthy, so I'm not worried about them. Cindy had a nice, clean setup, too. I went with my gut this time. It was pretty comical seeing them settle in for the night. I think my two Barred Rocks, Christine and Sleepy, are afraid of her! Without any sort of a pecking order issue, Batman rose to the top. She was roosting on the top roost with Christine, which pushed Sleepy to the second roost.

It'll be interesting to see how this situation develops and what the flock dynamics become. I definitely have to build a bigger coop now. This brings us to three full adults, two teenagers and six babies! My 3'x5' coop is already too small. Oy, the things my wife gets me to do.

 

[MaddBaggins]

I figure if she had a friend her age they would do better with the bigger gals. Is there a pullet that gets along with her that you can put with her now? Then after a few days you can let them be with the rest of the flock.

I couldn't tell if anyone likes her yet. It seemed like they all went after her. I guess I could go to the feed store and grab one more little girl. I do think one of our Barred is a roo, so another chick would be insurance against that. hmmmm

My coop is 4x8. I don't want to crowd it too much.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

People say they start slowing down after their 3rd year, but if they were bred well, and taken care of well, they can go longer. My sister has one that is 7 years old and still producing well for her. I believe in the commercial industry, they kill them after 2 years and start over.

 

I think it is 8 mo to 1-1/2 yrs. factory's push them hard to produce. Slow down you are dead. When the hen slows or just befor they think they are going to slow (?) it was a comom practice to put the hens in a closed lightless room for 2 weeks. No food or water. Then send the deed ones to recycle, the live ones have lost their feathers, the feed and water the lives ones aggressively. The will go into high gear and lay like crazy. Sometimes 2 eggs in a day. Most of these eggs to into thinks like powdered eggs, cakes..... (Thin shells usually). Then they just drop dead. It is a Against the law to do this but it still happens. $$$$$$ We, by having our own chickens, are throwing our grain of sand on the beach, our beach is growing.

My one neighbor is now thinking of having a few chickens. He grow up on a farm and remembers the eggs.

Reading a new study: it says 'do to the raise in back yard chickens' it has been found that chicken have a much longer egg laying life. It is believed to be do to allowing chickens to developer healthy eggs, and letting them lay 5 eggs a week. Chickens reported to be laying 1-3 eggs a week into their teens. Before a broody hen would not be allowed to go broody. We are really changing the world!

 

[City farm]

Our new 3... now we have 12 in the brooder! Australorp - "Ash" Golden Laced Wyandotte - "Lily" (my daughter's - looks like she's dancing!) Australorp - "Adele" (my husband's baby)

ok, I think we have another great photographer on board.. Thank you for sharing..

 

[City farm]

As of this evening one of my dearest friends has decided to put some of our fertile eggs in her incubator...
So baby chicks soon... So keep your eyes on this thread for the up comming date... We also gave 21 to
a school for their project.. Very eggciting...

So all of you lookie lousss out there get your coops ready.. HERE THEY COME... As kent would say
"NA Na Na NAAA!!!!"

 

[City farm]

As of last night, it's absolutely official. CHICKEN MATH has struck!!! My wife bought two New Hampshire pullets and a New Hampshire roo. We're really hoping he grows up to be quiet and docile, because I would love to have a roo and be able to breed them. That breed is absolutely beautiful. They are about 3 1/2 weeks old at the moment. I don't have photos yet because we got home late last night and Cindy pulled the ad off Craig's List. Hopefully, my wife will post some today or I can when I get home from work. She also bought the Birchen Maran that she had. I have no idea how old she is, but she's supposed to be laying. We probably won't see those eggs for a few days because of the stress of relocating. She is named Batman and my family opposed me re-naming her Cat Woman. So she'll be a gender confused chicken, kind of like Mama Hen's crowing hen...

​

I did break protocol and put them all in with my flock last night. I had checked them over pretty thoroughly and they were all perfectly clean and looked very healthy, so I'm not worried about them. Cindy had a nice, clean setup, too. I went with my gut this time. It was pretty comical seeing them settle in for the night. I think my two Barred Rocks, Christine and Sleepy, are afraid of her! Without any sort of a pecking order issue, Batman rose to the top. She was roosting on the top roost with Christine, which pushed Sleepy to the second roost. It'll be interesting to see how this situation develops and what the flock dynamics become. I definitely have to build a bigger coop now. This brings us to three full adults, two teenagers and six babies! My 3'x5' coop is already too small. Oy, the things my wife gets me to do.

Great... Congrats ... We are still talking about how fun it was at you home for the BBQ... & showing the scars from the tether ball game... What a blast we had.. & your parents called our dearest friends to get the azomite... I guess she want to "1" up someone in their garden.. Our friends sell this exclusively.. It is suppose to be amazing.. I just got a bad not to long ago... They gave us instructions on how to add it to our feed for the flock... Super vitamins!