Update

One Flew Over the Fence

 

Today my neighbor came over to inform me that my white rooster had flown the coop and was wandering around across the street in another neighbor's yard.

Sure enough, the hens weren't with him so that was a 'good thing'. I chased him back home and the hens were in the driveway patiently awaiting his return.

 I had a couple of hens disappear a couple of weeks ago. and I think my new neighbors next door had them for dinner. I think the black Astrolorp rooster that Whitey was harassing also, he was here one day and gone the next.

When I was informed of my wayward rooster's antics I was afraid he would be headed for the stew pot too so I gave the people a dozen eggs in appreciation for not eating him.

Chickens is fun but you got to clip their wings real short.

The Babies are HERE!

4 New babies

I have new babies, 2 black and 2 yellow. Hungry as a Kirby vacuum. I am having a hard time keeping track of the black ones as they hide in the shadows and under mom who is a dark gray.
I just checked and the 4 or more eggs that hadn't hatched are gone. No shells, no nothing. I guess they were cannibalized. Nothing goes to waste around chickens. I was hoping to have a couple more hatch. No such luck. The roosters are having a field day though.
4 roosters to service 9 hens means there's plenty of nooky to go around.  As long as they keep laying I'm happy.

New Arrivals

The babies are here!

Yes, I have 4 new babies, 2 little black ones and 2 little yellow ones. They eat like full grown chickens though. I left them with their mother this year and kept an hourly check on them to see that she took care of them and the other hens didn't do anything to harm them.
She abandoned the other eggs that hadn't hatched but another hen moved in and I'm hoping that she incubates them so I get some more.
Wish me luck, these chickens cost $5 or more to buy them now so I figure letting some hatch would save me money. I forgot about 'baby' food. lol

Updated Chickens

It was an interesting Christmas. We got approximately 8 inches of the soft fluffy stuff. The lower picture is of the tree branch that fell across my chicken fence and clothes line. The top is between the patio and the coop.

I have a whole new crop of chickens. A cat got into the coop and decimated most of the original birds. I now have 4 roosters, one I raised from an egg and believes I'm his mother. 2 others I bought as 'hens' from the county fair. Another was given to me when all I wanted was the hen. The lady wouldn't let me have her unless I took him too. Seemed she thought they were kissing kin or something. As soon as he saw all the other hens he lost interest in her right away.

I have a total of 13 chickens. I'm getting between 3 and 6 eggs a day. 

I have a light on them from midnight to 7 every day. I understand extending the daylight hours is all it takes to kick up production during the winter.