- Thread starter
- #21
KS_Chicken_Wrangler
Songster
Oh man. Many changes since my last post.
Originally we had two runs set up at the farm and one in town. Then we decided that the rooster (Eddie) and the cockerels (Amos and Woody) needed their own digs because they were a bit aggressive in their duties with their ladies. So we went to three runs at the farm, moving the boys to the garden after we had harvested everything. Turns out the boys don't turn over soil and eat weeds like the girls do.
All the while we had some bullying going on at the home coop which was most likely my fault and it was probably too small for the five ladies. Since I had four in the coop and one in solitary for medical care (just needed some time away and poultry spray from TSC). The boys were already in separate quarters in the garden; see, don't touch and were ready to be integrated, so, as Jeremy Clarkson would say, "I had a brainwave!" and thought why not build them a new coop and bring the girls from town and put them in the garden?
One old hog pen converted into a bachelor pad later, we moved the boys into their new digs, and moved the yuppie girls out into the country to learn how to be rednecks. The four that have run of the garden are loving it. The one in solitary is ready to get out of solitary (still a great set up for "see, don't touch") and her feathers are coming back in nicely; many new blue shoots on her back.
Now we have four runs at the farm and none in town.
I also had the chance to experiment with breaking a broody hen during this timeframe. About four weeks ago she had been on the fake egg for over a week, so I started adding more fake eggs to see how many she would take. Turns out she took all six that I had. Off to TSC I went and scooped up the remaining Black Sex Links (11 of them) and brought them home to mama. That night I removed the eggs and replaced them with chicks. She responded perfectly and now we have a brand new mama raising a batch of chicks with the original flock. In about a week or so, I will allow the littles and mama into the foraging area, but for now I'm concerned they might be small enough to get caught up in the electric netting.
Egg business is taking off. I'm bringing in about 30 eggs a day and we're managing to sell 4-6 dozen a week. Still have excess, but we will always keep the ugly, dirty eggs and make sure our stock is full. My hope is as people become aware of my farm fresh eggs the demand will rise to keep my numbers balanced.
Life is busy on the farm!
Originally we had two runs set up at the farm and one in town. Then we decided that the rooster (Eddie) and the cockerels (Amos and Woody) needed their own digs because they were a bit aggressive in their duties with their ladies. So we went to three runs at the farm, moving the boys to the garden after we had harvested everything. Turns out the boys don't turn over soil and eat weeds like the girls do.
All the while we had some bullying going on at the home coop which was most likely my fault and it was probably too small for the five ladies. Since I had four in the coop and one in solitary for medical care (just needed some time away and poultry spray from TSC). The boys were already in separate quarters in the garden; see, don't touch and were ready to be integrated, so, as Jeremy Clarkson would say, "I had a brainwave!" and thought why not build them a new coop and bring the girls from town and put them in the garden?
One old hog pen converted into a bachelor pad later, we moved the boys into their new digs, and moved the yuppie girls out into the country to learn how to be rednecks. The four that have run of the garden are loving it. The one in solitary is ready to get out of solitary (still a great set up for "see, don't touch") and her feathers are coming back in nicely; many new blue shoots on her back.
Now we have four runs at the farm and none in town.
I also had the chance to experiment with breaking a broody hen during this timeframe. About four weeks ago she had been on the fake egg for over a week, so I started adding more fake eggs to see how many she would take. Turns out she took all six that I had. Off to TSC I went and scooped up the remaining Black Sex Links (11 of them) and brought them home to mama. That night I removed the eggs and replaced them with chicks. She responded perfectly and now we have a brand new mama raising a batch of chicks with the original flock. In about a week or so, I will allow the littles and mama into the foraging area, but for now I'm concerned they might be small enough to get caught up in the electric netting.
Egg business is taking off. I'm bringing in about 30 eggs a day and we're managing to sell 4-6 dozen a week. Still have excess, but we will always keep the ugly, dirty eggs and make sure our stock is full. My hope is as people become aware of my farm fresh eggs the demand will rise to keep my numbers balanced.
Life is busy on the farm!
