- Feb 23, 2014
- 30
- 0
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Hi there! My name is Andy Legate and I live here with my family in South Carolina.
Several weeks ago, we were "adopted" by 4 hens. There were actually about 10 to 12 hens that invaded our land here (about 10 acres that we live on). They came from a neighbor that had pretty much abandoned them apparently.
There were quite a few different looking ones. Some where black and white spotted, a few were completely amber looking, and several were white with brown spots here and there, with very faint amber looking necks.
My 11 year old son, and his cousins got bird seed and started to feed them, so the hens stuck around the house for a while. After about 4 or 5 days, the majority of the hens took off, except for 4 of the white ones with some brown spots. They were the biggest too.
These 4 decided apparently that they had found a new home with us here and moved in under my house.
Now, we had talked about having some chickens here, but never really got serious about it. Now however, I have chickens living under my house and coming out to feet.....chicken poo everywhere too of course. Can't quite have that, even though I've grown attached to these 4 girls.
They are quite the characters. I went out and got a 50 pound bag of pellets (I was feeding them unpopped popcorn as that is all I had.....which they gobble up like candy). I was feeding them the pellets in the yard, while trying to figure out how to make a coop and run for them.
In the mean time, I was worried about my outside cats messing with them.
I should have known better I guess. Our cats are terrified of the hens, and with good reason. The hens are bigger than them, and it's the hens chasing the cats!
However we do have some dogs that run around loose here. And the dogs really did worry me. So I've set about building a coop for the 4 of them and a run to try and keep them safe (and out from under my house).
They wake us up in the mornings crowing (hen's crow? I looked that up. Apparently they do. Sort of sad sounding crows compared to what I've head from actual roosters, but they do try). They chase off the small wrens that try to land and eat the pellets too.
They are a bit skittish, however come running to me if I making clicking sounds and follow me around the yard. The biggest one with the most brown spots on it will actually let me pet her while she's feeding (though she does make some warning sounds, heh).
I'd like to try to find out what breed these are having NO experience with chickens at all. Also, can I use cedar shavings as bedding for them?
Here's a picture, the white ones are the ones that adopted us:
Several weeks ago, we were "adopted" by 4 hens. There were actually about 10 to 12 hens that invaded our land here (about 10 acres that we live on). They came from a neighbor that had pretty much abandoned them apparently.
There were quite a few different looking ones. Some where black and white spotted, a few were completely amber looking, and several were white with brown spots here and there, with very faint amber looking necks.
My 11 year old son, and his cousins got bird seed and started to feed them, so the hens stuck around the house for a while. After about 4 or 5 days, the majority of the hens took off, except for 4 of the white ones with some brown spots. They were the biggest too.
These 4 decided apparently that they had found a new home with us here and moved in under my house.
Now, we had talked about having some chickens here, but never really got serious about it. Now however, I have chickens living under my house and coming out to feet.....chicken poo everywhere too of course. Can't quite have that, even though I've grown attached to these 4 girls.
They are quite the characters. I went out and got a 50 pound bag of pellets (I was feeding them unpopped popcorn as that is all I had.....which they gobble up like candy). I was feeding them the pellets in the yard, while trying to figure out how to make a coop and run for them.
In the mean time, I was worried about my outside cats messing with them.
I should have known better I guess. Our cats are terrified of the hens, and with good reason. The hens are bigger than them, and it's the hens chasing the cats!
However we do have some dogs that run around loose here. And the dogs really did worry me. So I've set about building a coop for the 4 of them and a run to try and keep them safe (and out from under my house).
They wake us up in the mornings crowing (hen's crow? I looked that up. Apparently they do. Sort of sad sounding crows compared to what I've head from actual roosters, but they do try). They chase off the small wrens that try to land and eat the pellets too.
They are a bit skittish, however come running to me if I making clicking sounds and follow me around the yard. The biggest one with the most brown spots on it will actually let me pet her while she's feeding (though she does make some warning sounds, heh).
I'd like to try to find out what breed these are having NO experience with chickens at all. Also, can I use cedar shavings as bedding for them?
Here's a picture, the white ones are the ones that adopted us:
