Aussie-Chookmum
Obeying her avian masters
I consider myself a newbie.
Although I first adopted two Isa Brown hens in 2013 there's lots I don't know. I found The Back Yard Chicken website a few weeks ago and hope to pick all of you lovely people's brains!
I currently have two 2&1/2 year old hens. Tsuki, a leghorn and Deana, a Rhode Island Red. Last month we adopted two chicks who are now six weeks old. Alice, an Araucana and Edwina, an olive egger. We are following BYC's advice on introducing them to my older hens and have set up a new run for them next to the old one which the baby chicks will be moving into in a couple of weeks.
I wanted to get chooks of my own to ensure that my eggs came from "happy chooks" as I couldn't be sure that even "Free range" chooks here in Australia were really having quality of life. The standards of "Free range" could be anything from out in an open field with plenty of sun, water and space, to running around in a crowded barn with hardly any elbow room. On top of that, the company that markets the free range eggs also sells eggs from battery hens! :-(
My family currently has 3 dogs that are used to my older hens and don't bother them when they are out of their pen and pecking around the garden. When the baby chicks are bigger and not "peeping" like a squeaky toy any more I'll intoduce the dogs to them without a fence between. Under supervision of course!
I'm looking forward being part of this community and learning lots!
Aussie-Chookmum
Although I first adopted two Isa Brown hens in 2013 there's lots I don't know. I found The Back Yard Chicken website a few weeks ago and hope to pick all of you lovely people's brains!
I currently have two 2&1/2 year old hens. Tsuki, a leghorn and Deana, a Rhode Island Red. Last month we adopted two chicks who are now six weeks old. Alice, an Araucana and Edwina, an olive egger. We are following BYC's advice on introducing them to my older hens and have set up a new run for them next to the old one which the baby chicks will be moving into in a couple of weeks.
I wanted to get chooks of my own to ensure that my eggs came from "happy chooks" as I couldn't be sure that even "Free range" chooks here in Australia were really having quality of life. The standards of "Free range" could be anything from out in an open field with plenty of sun, water and space, to running around in a crowded barn with hardly any elbow room. On top of that, the company that markets the free range eggs also sells eggs from battery hens! :-(
My family currently has 3 dogs that are used to my older hens and don't bother them when they are out of their pen and pecking around the garden. When the baby chicks are bigger and not "peeping" like a squeaky toy any more I'll intoduce the dogs to them without a fence between. Under supervision of course!
I'm looking forward being part of this community and learning lots!
Aussie-Chookmum