Mine are stubborn! They run around in the rain till it gets dark enough if I can't catch them in time.
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You seem to be straight on with your assessment of them as right now, even at about 10 wks of age, my Barred Rock kinda runs the show. She is def the leader of the two. She does everything first and at times she stands up tall and erect and flaps her wings at my EE showing dominance!! I haven't seen her peck her or anything though thank God. They were raised together from babies a week old. They seem to eat well together and roost together without any issues. I pray we continue this way!!
Ooooh MY I can't deal with even thinking about killing any chickens!! In fact I can't even eat chicken anymore since I got and raised my two girls. I'm not ignorant!! I am well aware that's a fact of life.. I just can't deal with hearing about it though. I'm a HUGE animal lover and just the thought of my birds being killed for "meat" sends me into a frenzy as they are my "pets".. strictly and ONLY!! To be honest, I could even care less about what they lay. I mean it'll be an added bonus but that's about it. I just care about my girls!!
If you have Amish around they will take the non-laying hens also. I think they have you pay 2$ a head though.I probably wouldn't kill one of my hens myself, but once they are no longer laying, I will give it to a church nearby who knows poor homesteaders who will gladly process it for Sunday dinner. I don't have equipment, it's a lot of yucky work, and the ones (even organic) you can buy already done are cheap enough. I haven't bothered with raising chicks either. That said, if the economy tanks and our income plummets, I will do any and all of it to keep from starving.
If you have Amish around they will take the non-laying hens also. I think they have you pay 2$ a head though.
I probably wouldn't kill one of my hens myself, but once they are no longer laying, I will give it to a church nearby who knows poor homesteaders who will gladly process it for Sunday dinner. I don't have equipment, it's a lot of yucky work, and the ones (even organic) you can buy already done are cheap enough. I haven't bothered with raising chicks either. That said, if the economy tanks and our income plummets, I will do any and all of it to keep from starving.
It's good to know it won't harm them, but I don't know if my girls would like it. The coop, run, and small yard are covered during rain so I can keep the litter dry. For now, they only get out of their area in a temporary pen while I work outside 2-3 times per week. There are too many predators to let them free range. With the humidity here, I do everything possible to keep the coop moisture down.