Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[Wrightsx4]

We've had below zero for highs most if january. Neg 30 windchill and I couldn't get any of my salmon favs (including my fav mix) to come in so I could close the door. They don't seem to ever get cold. Same with rain - oblivious.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Our Sal is not laying yet so I can't comment on her eggs, but she was hatched form a large egg, Our hatching eggs were on average 62-64 grams.

Personality, they are very pleasant, don't mind a pat or stroke when some to the others tend to be a bit skittish. Very attractive birds (especially the pullets) but that extra toe takes some getting used to hahahaha

Downside, our roo is bottom of the heap when it comes to dominance, even some of the older hens have it over him. Hope it is a bit more assertive when it comes of age, without becoming aggressive.

Got someone due over shortly to look at buying the rest of our spare pullets, that will leave us with three boys to sell/process over the weekend, and we are trying to make plans that the four on hold for freinds are picked up soon too.

When the dust settles, we should be left with 15 girls and one Sav roo.

 

[babyfoot]

I don't want to get rid of my wee white rooster, he's sooo affectionate.
I can't bring myself to put him in the freezer either, oh dear, maybe I am not cut out for this stuff. I should NOT allow myself to get close to them. He flies onto my shoulders or jumps onto my lap and loves nothing more than to be carried around everywhere. The other rooster of the same age 3.5 months, is twice the size and beautiful to look at, also friendly but not affectionate. Shame we can't keep him either. I want to keep them ALLLLLLLL

 

[Bens-Hens]

Sorry Babyfoot, with all that land how come you can't keep him? If you can have one male you can have two surely?

Is it noise, fighting or just space? For what it's worth, you are definitely cut out for chicken ownership. We need more loving backyard flock owners out there. know it's hard to let go of the ones you do have to move on but sometimes your options are limited.

Maybe a mini run and two other pullets to keep him company, a compromise to sell one and keep the tender one?

The family that just visited just bought three pullets, one Araucana, one Australorp and a BAxAra.

Leaves one mixed bird and the other little one with wry tail, I think we are going to have to keep her as we can't even give her away as a 'buy two get one free' deal lol I don't mind keeping her if she does not sell though.

 

[Bens-Hens]

I meant to also ask how old this one is? I seem to remember your birds were about the same age as ours.

 

[babyfoot]

Quote: egg laid on 5th october so hatch was 25th or 26th October, that makes him just over three months. This is the one everyone including myself was convinced was female. Yes I have three acres and we COULD keep more roosters but currently have two 'men' to 10 hens (three female chicks also) that's enough as the hens would be pestered all the time. We let them all out to free range and we really don't want to keep any segregated

 

[babyfoot]

we have in past put some in freezer but as they were not really plump not much meat, they didn't go to waste though. Hubby keeps tellling me NOT to cuddle them... but I can't help myself and I DO get attached.

Don't forget mine are all mixes, hardly a pure among them. I love the ones that have loads of grey and the pure white ones. No-one would buy them plus where we live you can hear roosters every five seconds, think EVERYONE has one. This is our newest chick, female and loads of grey plummage plus heavy pure pale grey feathering on feet which was evident on the day she hatched.



This is Phoenix getting treats from my hubby. If he is on the ground he gives all treats to the girls.This way he eats them himself



Rusty and her current trio, one male two females (in the maternity wing)

 

[Bens-Hens]

egg laid on 5th october so hatch was 25th or 26th October, that makes him just over three months. This is the one everyone including myself was convinced was female. Yes I have three acres and we COULD keep more roosters but currently have two 'men' to 10 hens (three female chicks also) that's enough as the hens would be pestered all the time. We let them all out to free range and we really don't want to keep any segregated

So about 13 weeks? I really don't want to get you hopes up, but I would have thought it would have a bigger comb for a 13 week male.

At about that age, our boys started to show the male feathers, saddle and hackle. All but one was also crowing. Have you heard it try to crow yet? any sign of saddle or long thin pointed hackle feathers? Hard to make out form that pic. Maybe it was just an early developer, what breed was it again? Leghorn cross or something?

we have in past put some in freezer but as they were not really plump not much meat, they didn't go to waste though. Hubby keeps tellling me NOT to cuddle them... but I can't help myself and I DO get attached

Yep, cuddles make parting so much harder hahaha. Probably why we decided to find a reason to keep Sav, when they come to you and stand there like 'give me a scratch and protect me from the other boys' it's hard to picture them in the freezer.

Our boys have also not been full sized when processed, so not as much meat as a store bought bird, but I really think it did taste better, and had a much better life than any of the chicken we bought from Woolie's.

 

[babyfoot]

yep, definitely saddle feathers, they started two weeks ago. No crowing but... lol, his voice is breaking like a teenaged boy. No more cheep cheeps.

My second in command rooster is really good with the chicks, male and female, he will let them take treats from his beak but the alpha rooster chases everyone except the hens away, even the mama hen as I guess she sn't much use to him right now. He's the one in my avatar. Admittedly the other rooster of same age is twice the size and so is his comb but compared to the female of same age.. defo a rooster

he's a farmyard mix of goodness knows what (white one)

 

[Bens-Hens]

Ah ok. Was curious after wondering about his age vs comb. I remember thinking he was a male a while back, but compared to our boys (except the Sav the Fav) they have much bigger combs and are 15 weeks today.

Hope you find a nice place for him to go to.