The other day, my hubby and I were trying to remember the sequence of how we moved the chickens and merged the two flocks last year. I thought I’d written down details in my calendar .. nada. Checked through my blog posts, too .. nada. The only thing I wrote about was prepping the holding pen and the successful move to the holding pen. At some point in the next couple weeks, the door was left open and the two flocks merged. (I’m pretty sure they were merged by November 5 or 6th when we went Deer Hunting at Grandma & Grandpa Golden Acres’ farm.) Then the establishment of pecking order ensued … and Hen Savers were ordered. I need to do a better job of recording!
So as to not miss this year’s details before they are forgotten …
On the morning of August 13th, 2011, the Barred Rocks and Buff Orpingtons were moved to the holding pen in the large coop. The Ameraucanas were moved to the larger pen with outdoor access in the Wahoo.
The Ameraucanas have the better deal in this rearrangement. It’s hard for me to not give the the Rocks and Buffs access to the outside. But, merging flocks takes time and it’s for their protection to be near, but not with. For a treat, tomorrow I plan go out and let them roam the whole coop while all the older hens stay outside for the morning. It’s recommended that the flocks be within sight of each other for 4-6 weeks before ‘accidentally’ leaving a door open. I hope this merge goes a little better than last year’s!
The three youngest chicks remain in their water tank pen, but a perch was added for their pleasure and entertainment.
Did I mention that one of my Wyandottes is broody? The silly hen. I have wooden eggs that are supposed to help new layers and are supposed to deter egg peckers. (The hen that pecks eggs is smart, cuz the wooden eggs haven’t stopped her… and I’m not smart enough to be able to figure her out or she’d be stew.) Anyway, the broody hen sits on the wooden eggs! We collect the eggs she lays and she’ll switch nests so she has something to sit on. Silly hen…she’s never met a rooster.
We have a broody hen often. I need to get rid of the roosters! They are so pretty though. My dad locks his broody hens (or cluck hens as he calls them) up in a cage for a few days to get them to stop sitting on their eggs. I'm curious what you feed your chickens. I've done only oats & cracked corn, but would like to add wheat, soybean meal, maybe flax.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have any eating eggs right now but have in the past. I'll have to get some wooden eggs!
Ha! The roosters weren't with my hen before she went broody! But, I purchased the breed knowing full well they go broody ... it was one of my hopes. So, now that I have roosters, I'd really like a hen to go broody, but next Spring. A pen is on order for just that purpose. My Grandma Eva used to let her hens go broody and set on eggs. She used the square wash tubs and would put food and water inside the bottom tub and cover the hen with the second tub. I loved seeing the hens with their little flocks running around the farmyard.
ReplyDeleteSecretly, I hoped that I'd get a rooster out of the chick order this year. Just didn't think I'd get two. Thank goodness they get along ok. The only drawback thus far is that the roosters have been taking the hens out farther away from the coop and that may not be a good thing because we liked the hens staying in the lower yard away from my in-laws' home/yard.
We currently buy laying feed for the hens. We don't have access to oats, but my dad will give us screenings every now and then. We haven't invested in a grain grinder/cracker, so although we have corn, we haven't used it for feed. Flax would be great because that would up the Omega 3's in the eggs!