Chickens

I am sure you have heard the term "Crazy Cat Lady". You know the reference to an old lady with no family but tons of cats living with her. Well while I like my chickens and enjoy them I don't think I would like to be known as a crazy chicken lady.

My mom and I worked last week to make better surroundings for my budding egg layers and my future suppers. We used some old fencing and weaved it through the trees to build an enclosure for the chickens. I want my chickens to get outside but I also don't want them finding their way to my flowers or yard or garden. We built it big enough to keep them happy and are they happy when they get outside. My broilers are getting really big and they don't do much except walk to find water or food. Some of them will be butchered while Adam is home because some he works with would like to buy some. The rest will be left to fatten up for another two weeks and will be done the next time Adam is home. Maybe I will be taking orders in the spring for home grown chickens?????

We have 5 roosters. Three little white guys and two black and white ones. The black and white roosters are named, Noodle and Pete. Noodle has emerged as the cock with the walk...the king of the castle. He is the bigger rooster and is just starting to try out his crowing muscles. The girls are so proud of him and I can't wait for his first Cocka doodle do.

I had an evening of drama with my girls. There are two little openings (6inches by 12inches) in which the chickens can get out of the coop. One entrance is contained within the fencing the other is not. I staples some chicken wire over the entrance of the one not within the fences confides so I could leave the door off and have some air circulation through the coop. When the chickens are out I have been tying up the dogs as I am sure they could make it through the fence if they wanted too and I just don't want to worry. Anyway I had put the chickens away but left to one door off so keep the air circulating. Johnny came inside with us and I, as usual, left Farley outside. Later that evening I went to let Johnny out for a pee and to feed Farley. I called and called for Farley and no one came running. All of a sudden my heart sank. I dreadfully walked to the coop and saw my fencing on the little door mangled. I opened the coop door expecting to see a chicken lost war zone but out came Farley and I saw no blood shed within eye sight. I walked through the coop and did a head count....about 15 short. I walked the dogs back to the house and locked them up. As I was walking back to the coop I started to spot some loose chickens. After two hours of rounding up, catching, chasing and counting all my chickens I retired with a full head count and a quiet coop. I am still thankful and somewhat in disbelief that Farley did not kill one chicken. The opportunity was there and I will never know what happen in the coop BUT I am happy he left them alone or they were quick enough to escape his jaws.




I have pictures of the roosters and broilers but they are poor in poor lighting. I will take some better pictures and post them soon.