matthewr73
Hatching
- May 20, 2015
- 8
- 2
- 9
So we are in a state of transition here in Willow Run. My Black Australorp pullets have begun to lay eggs. I don't know if this upsets my 15 production reds. I think my one and half year old reds have decided to go on a egg laying strike. Last winter 9 eggs was a slow day. When I introduced my new pullets to the brooder (which is in the chicken run) the reds were curious. They would stare at the brooder, who know what they were thinking. I let the Australorps out of the brooder at about 8 weeks. Surprisingly no violence took place between them and the older reds. I did notice my egg production dropped. Now if I get 9 eggs, it's a good day.
I have 12 acres, and the chicken coop and run sit on the edge of a 5 acre pasture. You know what they say, "free range chickens got to range". So I let them out of the run every morning and close up the run every night. The coop has an automatic door, that keeps me from getting up at the crack of dawn. That thing is worth it's weight in gold. The blacks have quickly become my favorites (this may be the source of my reds anger, and resulting egg strike). I'll usually let one or two of the blackies into the garden with me as I pick veggies or weed. They are happy as chickens in a corn field. Since I layed down all the corn stocks, that is were they spend most of their time, either eating overlooked ears of corn or going after a grasshopper.
Now to the current situation. I'm currently getting 6-7 eggs a day. Most of them are pullet eggs. This doesn't bode well for my reds since I need to get the poultry population down to 20 chickens going into winter. Five of them got to go into the freezer for a future meeting with the stew pot. Anyway one of my reds must have read my mind and decided to fly the coop. About 10 days ago when I went to close up the run and do my nightly head count I came up one short. I check the usual places. The garden, the pine trees, under the brooder. No chicken to be found. Who knows, I guess she left. Free range chickens got to range, right?
Well today when I was picking raspberries, I saw a red peak it's head out from underneath my old rabbit hutch. I got to wondering if this was my wayward red. So after I did my nightly head count I went and looked under the hutch. Sure enough, I had a red looking back at me. So I suppose I'll put her back in the coop tomorrow night since she didn't have any eggs. Don't know what her problem is. The Australorps don't use the coop yet, they prefer to sleep in the brooder still. But, that will change come September.
I have 12 acres, and the chicken coop and run sit on the edge of a 5 acre pasture. You know what they say, "free range chickens got to range". So I let them out of the run every morning and close up the run every night. The coop has an automatic door, that keeps me from getting up at the crack of dawn. That thing is worth it's weight in gold. The blacks have quickly become my favorites (this may be the source of my reds anger, and resulting egg strike). I'll usually let one or two of the blackies into the garden with me as I pick veggies or weed. They are happy as chickens in a corn field. Since I layed down all the corn stocks, that is were they spend most of their time, either eating overlooked ears of corn or going after a grasshopper.
Now to the current situation. I'm currently getting 6-7 eggs a day. Most of them are pullet eggs. This doesn't bode well for my reds since I need to get the poultry population down to 20 chickens going into winter. Five of them got to go into the freezer for a future meeting with the stew pot. Anyway one of my reds must have read my mind and decided to fly the coop. About 10 days ago when I went to close up the run and do my nightly head count I came up one short. I check the usual places. The garden, the pine trees, under the brooder. No chicken to be found. Who knows, I guess she left. Free range chickens got to range, right?
Well today when I was picking raspberries, I saw a red peak it's head out from underneath my old rabbit hutch. I got to wondering if this was my wayward red. So after I did my nightly head count I went and looked under the hutch. Sure enough, I had a red looking back at me. So I suppose I'll put her back in the coop tomorrow night since she didn't have any eggs. Don't know what her problem is. The Australorps don't use the coop yet, they prefer to sleep in the brooder still. But, that will change come September.
