fanke19
Hatching
First time post from a chicken enthusiast in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. As of August 1st, we have six(6) hens...three of which are pictured at the bottom of this post. It all started in April, when the Easter bunny dropped off six mixed pullet chicks...all very pretty mixed colors.
Unfortunately, the heat lamp burned out one night and only one of the chicks made it through...which I have named "Blackie". Here is a recent picture of her grown up below.
A week later ( late April - early May ) I went to Tractor Supply Company in Burlington, Wisconsin and picked up six(6) more straight run chicks. I thought, well, maybe half of them will turn out to be roosters, and the other half will turn out to be hens. I had planned to take the males out to my Dad's house in the county as they started to crow. One by one, a week or so apart from each other, every single one of the straight run chicks turned out to be a loud male. LOL. Once again, Blackie was by herself.
My wife contacted an egg farmer in the county, and the nice lady gifted us three(3) of her older "spent hens". I was told they were about 18 months old, and they still layed eggs, just not as quickly as the younger hens.
At that time ( June, about a month ago ) we were getting approximately 8 - 10 eggs a week from the three spent hens. I named them Whitey, Baldy, and Ugly. Ugly had apparently been pecked quite a bit where she came from...I'm certain she has enjoyed her time with us much more.
Then, a few days ago, one of my cousins forwarded me a post on Facebook from another farm in Burlington. They had pullet chicks for $4 each or 4 month old hens for $10 each. They were a pretty brown color and I decided to pick up two(2) of the 4 month old hens. So now we are back to a total of six(6) hens in the family.
I can't wait to see all the eggs we receive once Blackie and her two new sisters start laying in the fall.
Unfortunately, the heat lamp burned out one night and only one of the chicks made it through...which I have named "Blackie". Here is a recent picture of her grown up below.
A week later ( late April - early May ) I went to Tractor Supply Company in Burlington, Wisconsin and picked up six(6) more straight run chicks. I thought, well, maybe half of them will turn out to be roosters, and the other half will turn out to be hens. I had planned to take the males out to my Dad's house in the county as they started to crow. One by one, a week or so apart from each other, every single one of the straight run chicks turned out to be a loud male. LOL. Once again, Blackie was by herself.
My wife contacted an egg farmer in the county, and the nice lady gifted us three(3) of her older "spent hens". I was told they were about 18 months old, and they still layed eggs, just not as quickly as the younger hens.
At that time ( June, about a month ago ) we were getting approximately 8 - 10 eggs a week from the three spent hens. I named them Whitey, Baldy, and Ugly. Ugly had apparently been pecked quite a bit where she came from...I'm certain she has enjoyed her time with us much more.
Then, a few days ago, one of my cousins forwarded me a post on Facebook from another farm in Burlington. They had pullet chicks for $4 each or 4 month old hens for $10 each. They were a pretty brown color and I decided to pick up two(2) of the 4 month old hens. So now we are back to a total of six(6) hens in the family.
I can't wait to see all the eggs we receive once Blackie and her two new sisters start laying in the fall.
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