Falling in love with my chicken...

[Spydrworks]

OK...so I never thought I'd own a chicken, but one found me last week and I'm just endeared by her. Thank you everyone here for helping. They are very efficient critters. She follows me like a dog when I go out with a cup of fresh cut greens

She'll even run after me...lol, but I'm really wowed at how friendly she is.

I just found out her breed. She is a red star. At first, New Hampshire was suggested, but further investigation has proved otherwise. Her egg laying capacity fits and so do the blond streaks that run through the red of her neck. I just ordered a black star pullet due to arrive in early July to accompany her and get more eggs.

This is the greatest. This is very economically healthy considering bird flu and factory farming. I'm starting to get an itch to do something about city ordinances that are against keeping chickens...or at least hens. Roosters I can understand, but the demand for factory eggs would plummet if more people had legal access in keeping hens, thus less hens living in torturous squallar for their eggs. I'm OK here where I live when it comes to keeping hens, but there's so many people who are deprived of a very sound way of providing an important and very healthy food item. Even just two of these hens for a family of three pays off well.

Thought I'd share. I love my Chickie and tomorrow I'll have my first Chickie egg meal

BTW...are hens easy to introduce to each other? Any precautions I should take when the black star arrives? I'm guessing Chickie is still young given the one egg per day ratio she's been putting out.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Henriettahen]

aww ur chicken sounds cute!!


yes it can be hard introuducing hens together the older they get...but if you do it slowly eventually it works out.

I can't think of a way right now that u could safely introuduce them, but many people on this forum have good ideas for u.

I personally just put my hens together when I was introducing them..they didn't like eachother at first..and kept their distance..but eventually they became good friends.

 

[justusnak]

There are a few ways to introduce them....you can slip the newbie in with the other, at night, when she is roosting....dont turn on a light tho...sometimes this works. Or, you can put them in seperate cages next to each other, for a few days...there will be SOME pecking, untill they figure out who is boss. Let them decide the "pecking order" Just watch to make sure they settle soon. Good luck with your hens.....and enjoy!

Oh, and one egg a day is good!! Some times my girls wont lay for a day...then back to laying.

 

[Spydrworks]

Thanks. Sounds like more how one would introduce most animals. I live in a multicat household and that puts patience along side intimidation to the limits when it comes to introducing a new kitty to another (and then again and again, etc.), so I should be OK with the two hens...lol. I know chickens are social birds so I want that for her...the opportunity to socialize with at least one other chicken and neighbors are too close for a rooster. I believe in allowing critters to be what they are rather than try to mold them into something they are not. I'm sure a single hen would do just fine, but as a social animal myself I understand that need to identify with another.

OK...I'm just babbling now...everyone have a good day (or night) which ever suits...

 

[Llysse]

Yes... I think that introducing your chickens to one another will be easier than introducing, say, cats to one another for that reason: chickens are flock animals and are more comfortable in a group (even if it's only a small group). I agree with the others here who've said they'll establish their pecking order, but after that I imagine you will have few problems.

Your hen sounds charming; I hope your black star will be as wonderful!