Hello,
I live in Naglee Park near SJSU and have a multigenerational flock. I am not related to Diane Hughes, but I know her (unless there is more than one Diane Hughes in the area). My two boys graduated from St. Martin of Tours where she is very active. They then both went through Bellarmine and now one is at Indiana University and the other at Seatle University. I started out with 4 hens which I got for free and had just started laying, and over the years three of them have died. Then when there were only two of them left I added three more adult hens. One ended up being quite a bully and just about destroyed my two old girls so she went back to her original home and I kept the other two who were mellower. Then one of my new girls who was a buff orpington got very broody and we couldn't break her from it. After sitting on an empty nest for over a month we finally gave up and put Trader Joe's fertilized eggs under her. We put 5 eggs under her and two hatched. One ended up being a room and was re homed. Same girl got broody again and we got a dozed, fertilized eggs from Brown's Ranch and put them under her. At the end, we had four chicks and 28 eggs. Her "daughter" from last year kept laying in the nest where she was sitting and the poor girl kept trying to stay on all of them and keep warm. At one point she must have had 32 eggs under her! One of my new chicks has presented as a rooster and is trying to crow. I need to find another home for him soon before the neighbors hate me. Four "generations" of girls hang out in two different coops. Once I get rid of the rooster, I'll have seven girls left.
Terri
) Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.
