Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LozzyR]

So, I have a question for those of you who care to answer. Would you still keep chickens if hens didn't lay eggs?
I got asked this by one the chicken keepers here where I live.

My initial answer would probably have been no, but having owned them for a couple of years, I would say yes now. I wish Lucy and Chickie would stop laying and just be pets.

I have a question for you Shad; as all your tribes free-range, do you ever collect eggs for consumption?

 

[LozzyR]

I couldn’t resist, I bought this for my nephew for Christmas.

 

[Shadrach]

My initial answer would probably have been no, but having owned them for a couple of years, I would say yes now. I wish Lucy and Chickie would stop laying and just be pets.

I have a question for you Shad; as all your tribes free-range, do you ever collect eggs for consumption?

I do collect the eggs for consumption. I also collect them as less invasive flock control and hen safety. They make nest in some what seems to me suicidal places. After a few years you get to be better able to judge what is a good nest and what isn't.
This was a good nest and was a well protected site. I didn't let her sit though.
Other things things that are good about this nest are, not too many eggs. Good indentation in the ground. All the eggs are touching another egg. The nest is such that the hen can sit in any compass position. It was also quite hard to find despite having followed the hen on two occasions.

This is a terrible nest but in the most secure location here; my house. I didn't let her sit.
I have a different base for when I'm considering letting the hen sit and hatch. She has zero egg control in this nest and would probably end up with leg strain.
However, every hen in Tribe 1 wants to sit in this nest box and a couple from tribe 3 as well. I thought initially that it was because of the nests security but what I believe has happened is once a nest site like this has produced chicks; they all know, then this is a major attraction. More or less the hens have realized that if you sit here you are likely to live and hatch some chicks.

This is an okay nest. The hen is restricted in sitting position and eventually some of those eggs will get pushed against the wall. There are too many eggs there. The security is very good unless it's a senior hen problem. I split the nest.

These eggs are not going to stay touching each other for very long. The nest hollow is too large/shallow

So, the above is the main reason I collect the eggs. They lay far more than I can eat and I can use these eggs to switch a broody hen off for a few weeks.
Most lay eggs in one of the coops now. Pullets in particular have an annoying tendency to lay in other tribes coops. It's not a good idea and the senior hen of that coop soon makes this abundantly clear.

 

[LozzyR]

Chickie laid an egg!! It was whole, and I think she laid the egg that got smushed yesterday. I’m guessing she’s feeling better, but that also means the anxiety over egg peritonitis continues.

I also saw a thread yesterday about hens feeling unwell and not eating when they had a Suprelorin implant put in.

 

[Shadrach]

With the common poultry focuses here being more towards the maximum “output” or a show breed, that’s a very hard goal for most North American Chicken keepers to achieve. I went to a smaller local breeder that deals primarily to backyard type keepers, started with hatching eggs, and tried to pick up dual purpose and heritage breeds for the most part, and want to establish self sustaining flocks after that sort of model. There just aren’t that many places where a person can find chickens with that sort of background around here. I’m lucky in that I live near some small family based agricultural areas.

Then there are the (now) 11 “rescues” I’m caring for, and though I’m interested in longevity and good husbandry, not everyone on this farm is on board with that. My mother the self described “chicken hater” has been looking in to the new Farm girls occasionally. They often are found to be without food, or water, and have been relocated to the small old coop and 100% confinement and supplemental lighting because they aren’t laying “enough” (the coop was jacked up leveling and rotting wood reinforced, but probably not adequately cleaned). There’s nothing I can do about it, and it breaks my heart. If I take them away they will just buy more.

I know about the not everyone on board bit.

 

[Kris5902]

So, I have a question for those of you who care to answer. Would you still keep chickens if hens didn't lay eggs?
I got asked this by one the chicken keepers here where I live.

I can say I most certainly would, and not just for meat. I would not have them in as great of numbers though, I think. My girls are somewhere between pets and livestock for me. Before having had chickens, I would probably have said no, but now, having worked with them and seen their different personalities... they have really become quite special to me.

We don’t really eat many eggs, to tell the truth...

 

[MaryJanet]

So, I have a question for those of you who care to answer. Would you still keep chickens if hens didn't lay eggs?
I got asked this by one the chicken keepers here where I live.

No question. Of course I would.

 

[Ribh]

So, I have a question for those of you who care to answer. Would you still keep chickens if hens didn't lay eggs?
I got asked this by one the chicken keepers here where I live.

Apparently the answer is yes. I already have one freeloader. No question of her going anywhere just because she isn't laying.

 

[BlueBaby]

So, I have a question for those of you who care to answer. Would you still keep chickens if hens didn't lay eggs?
I got asked this by one the chicken keepers here where I live.

I don't think that I could even if I wanted to. I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to talk my DH into building a senior's home for old chicken's. He would consider them useless.

 

[MaryJanet]

My intuition is don't kill things. I even feel fuilty if I kill a plant.