My first year raising Hens... Wow!!!!

[Johnhutch]

I started out with 4 4 month old leghorns, needless to say I don't have those anymore, some died some just disappeared. By this time I had gotten chicken fever an went back to the flea market and got 5 more ,lost 2 to I have no clue but the remaining ones were 2 Australorp and 1 RIR, who are thriving and are now about 10 weeks old, since then I have added 6 more which I found a lady who raises chickens, they are all wonderful, 23 weeks old and doing great, I then tried TSC in early March an bought 14 assorted hens needless to say none of those babies made it a week, not exactly sure why, but I went from a lame leg to eye problems, to pasty butts to you name it, so then I decided to go back to the chicken lady and got 6 more, as I was only brooding from outside I lost 5 of those, I made mistakes an my older ones just trampled them when ever they got the chance. The only one that survived was a California whites who is still shy and flighty but she holds her own. My flock consist of 10 now who all live in the same coop after much mothering them an carefully incorporating them with the older ones after my many disasters. I think as a beginner the biggest mistake I made was housing them indoors an not getting them ready for outdoor living. This I will never do again. All chicks will be raised from the compound of the coop. I've never named any of them because I dont think I could eat anything that was a pet, but my love for them is the same. I think I do more for them than anything else. Here is an assortment of pictures..

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[Johnhutch]

 

[Johnhutch]

This little girl had a twin n 4 others with her but she was the only one to survive.. she is approximately 4-5 wks old an has been outside from the day I got her....

 

[Johnhutch]

My 23 wks old with my 3 10 wks old, everyone is waiting on the treat of the day.... Breadcrumbs

 

[Johnhutch]

She runs the coop along with the oldest leghorn... Hopefully laying soon too

 

[Johnhutch]

She can very aggressive when she wants to.

 

[b.hromada]

You've got a pretty assortment of birds there.

 

[Johnhutch]

I have recently moved an my girls have settled in an are back on a regular schedule an I have just found out that what I thought was a hen is a rooster or at least I think she or he is.... I just heard her cockadoodle dooing, I'm wondering how can I tell for sure an when will have to start monitoring for fertile eggs?

 

[Johnhutch]

Rooster or hen. This one cockadoodles