The tale of the Henitentiary

[froggiesheins]

Just found this thread and it was So much fun reading all the excitement surrounding the new kids coming!

You new kids are BEAUTIFUL and the coop/run very very very nice!!!!
Can't wait to hear what their names will turn out to be LOL

SO much good info from everyone too!..I add my 2 cents...get a nice big fan for those hot hot days, freeze some wattle bottles for them to lay against, put ice in their water and you are Set!

Life is good by you I can see.

 

[steny03]

It has beenwell over a month since I last posted an update, so I guess I'm due for one!

So far I've really enjoyed my chicken adventure. They are neat creatures.

It has been a very exciting month and half since my girls first arrived! We are slowly learning what they like and don't like. For example...frozen peas are their favorite, and the easiest way to get them to come to you. Watermelon was a bit scary until they figured out it was tasty, and cooked spaghetti noodles are always a hoot to watch! Nowadays they free range all day, and I can honestly say that I haven't really seen any damage to my garden or lawn, but I can't remember the last time I saw a bug...

They are also growing like mad...It's easy to see that they will be good size hens when they are fully grown. It's also suprising how quickly they are growing too. So far no eggs. I think it will probably be yet another month until they get old enough for that.

They are curious about me when I go in the backyard, but are not as friendly as I'd hope they'd be. Not suprising, as they arrived as started pullets. But they do recognize that I am the treat lady, so when they see me they do a bunch of soft clucking and come up to me.

I think chicken math is also catching up to me. Next week I'll be receiving two new started pullets, which will bring my flock up to 6. I think that's a good number for a backyard flock.

I think I need to introduce my girls now, as they've grown a little older and have all been named too. Please forgive the low quality of the photos, and the scruffiness of the hens. They weren't too sure about the camera, and it was an extremely windy day!

Henry
She's the lead hen, and always first to come up to me when I have treats. She's pretty bold, and I beleive she's taking over the Rooster role in the flock.
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Nugget
She's pretty even keeled. I think she's the number 2 hen, but I'm not sure. She's buddies with Henry, and almost always by her side.
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Noodle

Well...Noodle is special. She'll wander off by herself and then realize she's alone and freak out. Then it's all squawks and panicked flapping of her wings until she's back with the group.
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Dumpling

Lastly, here's Dumpling. She is definitly the smallest of the flock, but usually very curious. She's always by Noodle's side. She's also hard to photograph, as she's developed a habit of trying to scoot under the other hens as a form of protection I think.
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So there's my girls so far. I think they are doing fine. I haven't seen a lot of pecking between them, and hopefully that won't change once the two new girls arrive.
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[gryeyes]

Your girls look good! I love Australorps.

My flock is pretty large and very mixed, with quite a few breeds and a boat-load of mutts hatched over the past couple of years. My BA is Molly - she is friendly, talkative, and a real gossip. She follows me around, telling me all the flock activities. She boks, I bok back, just like we're having a conversation.

Thank you for sharing yours with us!

 

[steny03]

Your girls look good! I love Australorps.

My flock is pretty large and very mixed, with quite a few breeds and a boat-load of mutts hatched over the past couple of years. My BA is Molly - she is friendly, talkative, and a real gossip. She follows me around, telling me all the flock activities. She boks, I bok back, just like we're having a conversation.

Thank you for sharing yours with us!

I am in love with Australorps too! I do want to expand my breeds,next week I'll have a silver lace wyandotte joining my flock. I was just outside mowing the yard, and the girls were still in their pen. They did nothing but bok bok and grumble at me until I let them out. Its funny how their tone of boking changes with their attitudes!

 

[steny03]

Wow...it's been such a long time since I've updated this thread! I'll be sure to post pictures in the next couple of days....

All of my girls are doing fine. It took about a week for the two new pullets to integrate with the four existing...that was hard to watch as there was some pecking and a lot of squaking. They've been named too..Biscuit and Fritter. Fritter is smaller than my other girls, but one couldn't tell by amount of sounds she makes. I swear she chews me out in her chicken language everytime I come close...she does it when she is unhappy...when she has a favorite treat....and she's tried it with her beak full of food...

All have also grown into fat and happy hens. I knew Australorps were supposed to be a bigger bird...but I still was a bit suprising! Since my birds were hatchery stock, the average size varies considerably in the flock. Nugget and Henry are definately the largest, with Fritter and Dumpling being the smallest. Over the summer we were constantly picking up the girls to get them used to being handled. Henry, the lead hen, actually seems to enjoy it! Most of the other girls don't like being caught still, but quiet down right away once they are picked up. Ironically, their attitudes drastically changed once they start to 'crouch' or 'present' themselves...I can now comfortably catch Dumpling and she is much more mellow about it. I tease my poor boyfriend relentlessly as the girls 'present' themselves easier and more frequently to him...

I learned a lot of lessons over the summer. The biggest....DO NOT BUY A PRE-MADE COOP! Mine did not even last the summer before leaks and warping began to occur. Also, the nest boxes were higher than the roosts, and I was never able to break them of the habit of sleeping in the nests. This was less than ideal as my girls started to lay.....Speaking of laying...out of six I believe we have between 3-4 that are actively laying. My Australorps sure seem slow to mature...but that's ok. I'm betting I will have more eggs than I know what to do with next summer!

So we have just completed Henitentiary the Second. Its a lot sturdier than the pre-made coop, and way more roomy. It's 6x4 with lots of room for wide roosting bars, three nesting boxes, a large human door for easy cleaning, and extra space in case I need to put food and water inside. We're also planning on installing an automatic coop door. It's not insulated, but we will also be rigging up a small heat lamp bulb inside. I know, I know...lots of people do not like to heat their coop, but around here we can have -40F for a few days in a row. I'll have to take some pics tomorrow.