HAWAII -- RHODE ISLAND REDS -- UPDATE TO MY FLOCK

Mike_3

In the Brooder
Aug 4, 2024
7
19
24
ALOHA BACKYARD CHICKENS,
AFTER MY LAST CREME LEGBAR CHICKENS WERE ATTACKED BY MONGOOSE, I CHOSE TO GET FERTILE EGGS FROM OHIO.
I CHOSE RHODE ISLAND REDS -- I HAD THREE (3) WHO HATCHED OF ABOUT 30 EGGS -- 1 ROOSTER, 2 HENS --
I WENT TO DO A FULL CLEAN OUT OF MY CHICKEN COOP AND FOUND EIGHT (8) EGGS BEING SAT UPON BY A VERY ATTENTIVE HEN -- AS I WAS CLEANING, THE CONCERNED HEN ACTUALLY JUMPED UP AND WAS SEEN LOOKING DOWN AND VERY CONCERNED -- I HAVE TREATED MY CHICKENS WITH THE MOST GENTLE CARE -- I THINK THAT ONE (1) HEN IS LAYING THE MOST -- WITH ANOTHER HAVING ONLY HAVE LAYED ONE (1) SO FAR -- THEY ARE 22 WEEKS OLD NOW -- BORN ON 3 SEPTEMBER 2024 -- I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE THE TWO (2) HENS, ESPECIALLY, ACTUALLY RUN QUICKLY TO THE GATE OF MY COOP RUN, LOOKING TO SEE ME -- THEY KNOW I AM NO HARM AND IT SO ADORABLE -- SEEING HOW MY HEN WAS SO VERY CONCERNED, I HAVE DECIDED TO LET THE BROODING HEN TO HATCH THEM IN ABOUT 21 DAYS -- I PURCHASE PINE SHAVINGS FOR THE NESTING -- I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THAT -- I AM SO VERY HAPPY THAT I DECIDED TO GET INTO RAISING CHICKENS -- WITH THE AVIAN FLU THING GOING AROUND -- I DID NOTICE THAT MY RHODE ISLAND REDS ACTUALLY LAY SMALLER EGGS THAN I EXPECTED -- NOT A PROBLEM -- A WHILE BACK I COMMENTED TO THE GROUP THAT I THOUGHT THAT USING A MIRROR IN THE HATCHERY AND COOP RUN MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA -- NOW I AM OPPOSED TO HAVING ANY FORM OF MIRROR -- BECAUSE THE ROOSTER ALWAYS GETS AGGRESSIVE WHEN EVEN THE MOST SMALLEST MIRROR IS AROUND -- WHERE HE ACTUALLY ATTACKED MY FEET -- BUT NO WORRY -- ONCE I REMOVED THE MIRROR, THE ROOSTER IS BACK TO NORMAL -- HE HAD NO AGGRESSION TO MY FACE OR ME -- THE ROOSTER WAS ON EDGE WITH THE MIRROR AROUND -- MY COOP RUN IS ABOUT 10 FEET X 20 FEET -- WITH A COVER OVER THE TOP -- WITH A COOP THAT I BOUGHT ONLINE -- ONCE AGAIN THANKS TO EVERYONE HERE -- BECAUSE I KNOW THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE INTO BIRDS -- ANY BIRDS -- ARE REALLY GREAT PEOPLE ! -- I AM NOT SURE WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH THE YOUNG CHICKENS WHEN THEY HATCH -- I SUPPOSE LET THEM LIVE WITH THE REST -- AND MAYBE IN THE FUTURE I MIGHT SELL EXTRA HENS AND ROOSTERS TO LOCALS ON MY OUTER ISOLATED ISLAND IN HAWAII -- I AM NOT USING LAYING FEED -- RATHER JUST THE REGULAR HAWAII GRAINS FEED THAT IS AVAILABLE HERE -- I RAISED THEM ON NON-SOY CHICK FEED AND SOME MEDICATED FEED TO MAKE SURE THE FIRST WEEKS WERE WITHOUT HEALTH ISSUES -- I DO PLACE A PILE OF OYSTER SHELLS FROM PACKAGE ON THE GROUND -- AND WAS PLEASED TO SEE EVEN THE ROOSTER ACTUALLY DOWNING SOME NUGGETS THIS MORNING -- SO FAR SO GOOD -- MY CHICKENS ARE VERY HAPPY AND ALL IS WELL -- I LIVE IN AN AREA OF REMOTE HAWAII WHERE MANY OTHERS HAVE CHICKENS -- HOWEVER MOST ARE FOR FIGHTING -- NOT MANY HENS AROUND AT ALL -- EGG PRODUCTION COULD BE A MASSIVE EXPORT PRODUCT ON MY ISLAND IF ONLY HENS WERE RAISED -- TRAGICALLY THERE ARE VERY VERY FEW PEOPLE WHO RAISE HENS OR FOR EGGS -- JUST FOR FIGHTING -- I WAS A STATE HUMANE OFFICER IN CALIFORNIA ABOUT 40 YEARS AGO -- SO THEREFORE I COULD NEVER BE INVOLVED IN SUCH A CRUELTY GLADIATOR BULL FIGHTING SCENE HERE -- FILIPINOS, THEN HAWAIIANS WHO HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED WITH THAT BIZARRE GAMBLING PASTIME -- AGAIN, THANKS TO EVERYONE HERE -- HAVE A BLESSED DAY !
 
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Glad you were able to start over with a new flock. I've never before come across a post where the predator was a mongoose. We have plenty of chicken-eating critters in Iowa, but none of those, thank goodness!

Sounds like you are taking good care of your birds and enjoying life with them!
 

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