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Alright
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great to have ya here with us
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50 years way to go
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That is a chicken farmer alright
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Thank you to everyone that has welcomed me into the group. I am happy to have found such a friendly chicken group. This week I changed my chickens to a nipple watering system. I have always hated chicken waterers because they are dirty. Several years ago I put my cockatiel on a water nipple bottle, that I had for my rabbits. Seeing it applied to chickens made me really happy. So happy in fact, that I have decided to increase my chicken population. A few years ago I thought I was done with chickens. After finding homes for all my chickens I realized I had missed a rooster. He had descended from a favorite hen that had been a lone survivor from a idog attack back in 1992. Then December of 2012, I found a lone Araucania in my driveway. I thought she was a big fat hen until I picked her up. I was shocked because she was as light as air and nothing but fluff. I named her Merry and put her under a heat lamp with food and water in my little barn. Poor old thing must have been dropped off. I was relieved to find her still alive the next morning. My old rooster Joe, had made his way in with Merry and was being a real sweety. Eventually Merry started laying me a nice green egg every morning.
So much for being done with chickens. That spring I bought four more poulets at the farmers market. They started laying in August and by November Merry stopped.
Merry is a pet and I don't care that she has gone through hen apause. She is just a happy little old hen and shares her body heat with the others on the perch at night. Everyday I get 4 eggs. Usually 3 in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Each flock of chickens seems to have its own persona. Joe does a good job of keeping these hens in line. Merry can be testy with the younger girls, but joe is there to keep the peace. Redirecting Merry and stopping the younger girls from realizing they are now bigger and stronger and can see much better than poor old Merry.
It's true you don't need a rooster to get eggs, but eggs are not why I keep a rooster. My rooster breaks up disagreements, stands guard, and sounds alarm when there are problems. He gathers them to him and leads them to the roost in the evening. Joe, is a good rooster with a good temperament and he does a good job of being a rooster.
 

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