Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[CB and CG]

I don't imagine them being flighty, more just a bit clueless. I like flighty birds, they can tend to themselves, and are often curious, or at least our flightier birds are. The productivity of Australorps is tempting though. Of our current birds, the ones that I find the most boring and clueless are the Sussexes. They are super slow maturing. At almost 20 weeks, the roo has yet to show any male behavior. The pullet has just started developing a bit of a comb and wattle, with a slight pinkish tint. And they are such cowards, they run away from everything and stay in the run most of the time.

Yes my Australorps are very productive. Today I got 11 eggs from 11 hens/pullets. Even the previously assumed 'retired' hen gave us an egg.
The pullets currently have an average egg size of 51g (ranging from 47g - 54g)
The hens currently have an average egg size of 58g (ranging from 54g - 66g)
They have a lovely temperament and actually seek out human attention. If I sit down on a bench in the pen they will be more than happy to sit next to me or perch on my lap. I have one lovely blue hen that will actually stalk you until she gets a pat or some extra attention.
I have another black hen that likes to help me dig. If I'm digging a hole with a shovel for any reason she will be in the hole digging with me searching for any worms. My lorps are more like dogs rather than chickens but that's partly because of the way they are raised. We are very hands on with them from the day they are born and soon become very inquisitive and friendly.


Stunning pics Ben!

 

[vehve]

Those are egg sizes we only dream of. Our all time average is 38.1 grams, but that number reflects also the very first eggs. At the moment, I think we're at about 43 grams. Still, pretty small. For us, the most social is Wilma, our Marans. She likes to come next to us and talks to us, we assume she's telling about her day. She's the most vocal about new eggs as well, she'll cheer anyone who's laying on, and proclaims the arrival of a new ovum very loudly.

 

[Bens-Hens]

You sure have beautiful boys Ben.

And your cochin looks sweet too! What age do you get rid of them if you are sure they are boys? I'm trying to get my hands on blue/green egg layers & it looks like I may have to risk unsexed chicks or try my hand at hatching with the same result. Do you still vaccinate your day olds?
Those trails look fantastic for hiking. I'm not so sure about running them unless I see a snake of course.
Vehve, my Austrolorps lay a pretty pinkish egg around 50g's & they have yet to go through their first moult. I put hay down yesterday to cover the mud & Hagrid was so terrified that she managed to fly her bulk up to the highest perch. It took one 'volunteer' being dumped on the hay before the others realised it was safe to walk on.

I use leaf litter in the run & only had the hay on hand because I was going to use it in the nest boxes instead of wood chips. Silly birds.

It's some sort of twisted gift we have in our house...the gift of males!

We normally don't move them on until they are crowing, on average we get about $10 for them at that size, sometimes more some times less. I am pretty sure most are going to tables. For every male we raise, we fall behind financially but it's part of the game I guess. We bought that NH unsexed for $10, and if we get $10 for him we have fed him up for free, could possibly only get $5 for him. Yep, last lot for a while lol

We have vaccinated almost all our flock for MD as day olds, we missed the first four hatched because we were trying to get vaccine. Saying that, we won't continue now that our stock has exhausted. It was expensive and pretty difficult to manage coming from over east.

I have been thinking about trying Fancy's method of a bit of straw in the 'fall zone' under the perches, just a bit concerned someone will think its a new nest and try lay in it or scratch it all over the place!

@cwrite That's exactly how I would picture them behaving

Our's are a bit different, we planted a plum tree in front of the coop, and covered it using straw as mulch. The chickens immediately thought "Oooo, new plaything!" and it looks like a battlefield at the moment. Still, they're not digging deep enough to hit the roots, so I suppose keeping the soil fluffy is okay.

We have three vines, has taken a bit of work to keep the beaks and claws out of reach, they love to roll in the dirt patch at the base of the fines, even pick the trunk clean of leaves.

We now have an agreement, they can't get in there but they can have whatever they can reach as it grows along the run.

Just give them a bit more time Vehve & they will turf that tree out of their new dustbath. Mine have several impressive excavations going on, including one that has exposed the foundations of the shed.

I've been limiting their free-ranging time as well so they are fast workers.

Left unchecked ours will do the same, even try dig into teh little grow bed in their run from the underside. I now keep a metal rake in the run so I can fill the big craters in and give them a new project to start on until free range o'clock.

Thank you for taking the time to upload all those pictures Ben! They are wonderful. Good news about the Cochin is that you might have a reliable broody hen in her. Shame that she has so many brothers. Vehve, my Australorps are not flighty at all, they are friendly...come running like dogs to me across pasture, are quite adventurous, and are faithful layers. My Cream Legbar and Easter Egger hens are very shy and flighty. Their saving grace is the pretty color eggs, but as far as being fun to be around, not so much.

The Cochin is a bit flighty, but she is very pretty, I only get a little pat every now and then from her. Our Ara's are pretty flighty, so is our BV, but most of the others are pretty cruisy birds.

Ben, you have some real pretty running areas! I could do without the snakes tho.
Scott

We are lucky, it's been a pretty good winter for runners, not so good for the dams though I guess. We pay the price in summertime though.

Yes my Australorps are very productive. Today I got 11 eggs from 11 hens/pullets. Even the previously assumed 'retired' hen gave us an egg.
The pullets currently have an average egg size of 51g (ranging from 47g - 54g)
The hens currently have an average egg size of 58g (ranging from 54g - 66g)
They have a lovely temperament and actually seek out human attention. If I sit down on a bench in the pen they will be more than happy to sit next to me or perch on my lap. I have one lovely blue hen that will actually stalk you until she gets a pat or some extra attention.
I have another black hen that likes to help me dig. If I'm digging a hole with a shovel for any reason she will be in the hole digging with me searching for any worms. My lorps are more like dogs rather than chickens but that's partly because of the way they are raised. We are very hands on with them from the day they are born and soon become very inquisitive and friendly.


Stunning pics Ben!

Hi CB! Thanks. We have similar specs from our big 'lorp, she is also the boss hen. She no longer squats for me, but she let me pat her. If I have food she is my best friend!

We have one Ara, Laverne who is the digging queen. If I have the rake or shovel out she is right in there. I have nearly taken her poor little head off as she has dived into a hole to scratch at something while I am mid swing.

Those are egg sizes we only dream of. Our all time average is 38.1 grams, but that number reflects also the very first eggs. At the moment, I think we're at about 43 grams. Still, pretty small. For us, the most social is Wilma, our Marans. She likes to come next to us and talks to us, we assume she's telling about her day. She's the most vocal about new eggs as well, she'll cheer anyone who's laying on, and proclaims the arrival of a new ovum very loudly.

I will have to drag the scales back out and see what we average now. We have got 12 eggs a day a couple of times now......the fridge fills up fast

 

[Bens-Hens]

Things have been going well with Ben's Hens lately, egg production is going well, the yellow passion fruit is beginning to ripen and the chicks are growing.

This morning while getting some scratch grains out I heard the familiar strangled sound of a little cockerel trying out his first crow, 10 weeks to the day. Our second earliest crower, and he is bound to start off the Australorp too hahahaha

The joy's of rising young ones.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Things have been going well with Ben's Hens lately, egg production is going well, the yellow passion fruit is beginning to ripen and the chicks are growing.

This morning while getting some scratch grains out I heard the familiar strangled sound of a little cockerel trying out his first crow, 10 weeks to the day. Our second earliest crower, and he is bound to start off the Australorp too hahahaha

The joy's of rising young ones.

Oh well Ben , you can but try again. I had a terrible day yesterday . I went out in the morning to find that the mongrel cockerel that I should have gotten rid of weeks ago, had jumped the fence and beaten my prize BLRW roo to within an inch of his life. His head is so swollen and he is covered in blood, I don't hold much hope for him. Then my cat got her head stuck between the cab and tray of my sons ute, sticky beaking. Last night to top it all off my daughter and I went out to catch the rogue rooster , heard a bang and by the time we got back the dog had wiped out a full grown male wallaby at the front door, blood everywhere.
I'm heading off to wash the roo down and try to get some of the blood out of his eyes . Oh I forgot to mention I had 6 biopsies done and am supposed to be keeping my stitches clean.

 

[vehve]

Ben, but they are cute when they do that.

Fancy, sounds like you need a drink. How's the roo doing? And you? And do you eat the wallabe?

 

[cwrite]

Oh no Fancy!

That is one roo that will be easy to dispatch. Hope all goes well with the biopsies! Today can only have been better, I hope.

Ben, I would like to hear that noise sometime, but hopefully not in my backyard. Is your big race this week-end?

 

[Fancychooklady]

Ben, but they are cute when they do that.

Fancy, sounds like you need a drink. How's the roo doing? And you? And do you eat the wallabe?

Thanks Felix, after I give this lot their sardines and rice I'm going to bring him in and attempt to wash his head. I haven't done so as yet because the trauma to his head seems pretty bad and I think he will go into shock. I'll wash him down and put him front of the fire, I know that he has had nothing to eat as he can't see where he is going. Always the way, just last week I sold the other BLRW roo . It pays to keep 2 breeders. Lesson learnt.
No we don't eat wallaby, I told hubby to take it down the back so the sea eagle would get a free feed. Waste not want not.
I'll be having a big glass of Merlot with dinner.

 

[vehve]

Fancy, I'm going to once again say honey based medical creams for the roo. Hope you get him patched up.

I would assume kangaroolike critters to be tasty.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Fancy, I'm going to once again say honey based medical creams for the roo. Hope you get him patched up.

I would assume kangaroolike critters to be tasty.

Yep, I only pretend not to be listening. Found 2 x tubes of this in the first aid box, we are going to have our wallaby pie for dinner , then I'll get him in for treatment.