- Jun 6, 2013
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As a kid my grandparents that lived next door had chickens, I was always playing and messing with them, later I joined the 4H poultry club and started to learn about them, but being young I retained enough to be dangerous.
We would show New Hampshire’s and at the Pacific National Exhibition one of my roosters won best rooster. He was a great looking bird but he was great for egg production. First thing in the am he would kick all the hens out to the run to eat. Two hours later he would kick them all back into the coop to lay eggs. He would give the girls the afternoon off, the run was peaceful and claim. I learnt early on never to go in the run in the morning, no problem in the afternoon but never in the morning.
We did other projects at 4H, one group put a fertile duck egg under a broody hen, when the duckling was born she accepted it as one of her own; would have a major freak out when the duck took to swimming. Seven months later a large duck would beat the snot out of the rooter when he would try and do his duty on the hen as it looked his mom was being attached. The rooster was very confused by this. They never did that again.
My parents sold some land and got out of the chicken business. Fast forward 30 years and my youngest goes on a field trip to a house in which they have chickens, in the middle of suburbia! A little research and up to five chickens are allowed, no roosters and suddenly I’ve got chicks. Two Rhode Island Reds and three Columbian Barred Rocks.
Now to build a coop; working on converting an unused kids play house to be the coop, rebuilding part of a rabbit run for the chicken run. Each time I have a question seems someone on BYC has asked and the members have answered; I am gratefully for all the advise. I should have paid more attention when I was in 4H!
We would show New Hampshire’s and at the Pacific National Exhibition one of my roosters won best rooster. He was a great looking bird but he was great for egg production. First thing in the am he would kick all the hens out to the run to eat. Two hours later he would kick them all back into the coop to lay eggs. He would give the girls the afternoon off, the run was peaceful and claim. I learnt early on never to go in the run in the morning, no problem in the afternoon but never in the morning.
We did other projects at 4H, one group put a fertile duck egg under a broody hen, when the duckling was born she accepted it as one of her own; would have a major freak out when the duck took to swimming. Seven months later a large duck would beat the snot out of the rooter when he would try and do his duty on the hen as it looked his mom was being attached. The rooster was very confused by this. They never did that again.
My parents sold some land and got out of the chicken business. Fast forward 30 years and my youngest goes on a field trip to a house in which they have chickens, in the middle of suburbia! A little research and up to five chickens are allowed, no roosters and suddenly I’ve got chicks. Two Rhode Island Reds and three Columbian Barred Rocks.
Now to build a coop; working on converting an unused kids play house to be the coop, rebuilding part of a rabbit run for the chicken run. Each time I have a question seems someone on BYC has asked and the members have answered; I am gratefully for all the advise. I should have paid more attention when I was in 4H!
