Chickens, chickens and more chickens

Last week, Russ received 50 Barred Rock future layers. They are little balls of black fluff. In the last week, they have grown a lot already and seem to be very hardy.

Barred Rock chicks

Also arriving was a bunch of Cornish X's, future meat birds. They are not near as hardy as the other chicks due to being a hybrid bird. They started out in half of the brooder but we found out quickly that they needed to be even warmer than the Barred Rocks. They are currently in the house where the temperature is more to their liking. Even with two heat lamps on them, they just got too cold outside. Being in the house agrees with them as they have doubled in size in just a week!

Cornish X chicks

Russell saw an ad for Rhode Island Red layers and also some of the movable pasture coops. It turned out to be the same couple that we had bought the Americaunas from last summer. So off we went with a flatbed trailer and the chicken carriers. He just loves the new coops! He bought four, they are well made and a bit smaller than the two that he made last year.

The new RIR's are in two if the coops at the farm until he can get a hoop house built for them. They have been laying pretty well for having their life changed in a big way.

"New" pastured poultry coops

Russ is in the coop moving business again! He moves the layers each morning, they learned fast to run to the front of the coop for the daily move.

Here at the "440", the layers are doing good. The Americaunas love to lay in odd places so we are always on the lookout for eggs in the hay now. The layers are joined by the two Silkies during the day. Larry has turned out to be a very handsome rooster and Moe is just as sweet a hen as can be. She is laying cute little eggs too. I would like to try to have her raise some chicks soon.

Two of the Cornish birds did not end up on dinner tables. Peg is a nice little hen that had lost her leg do to an animal attack at the farm. She hops and flies all over. At night she roosts in one if the layer boxes.

Peg, the one legged Cornish hen

Peeps is the little bird that was squished and could not stand when he got abused in the brooder box. I had brought him in the house and put him in a sling. Russ thought I was nuts, but I had to try. After two weeks he was good as new. I put him out with the Silkies and he must think that he is one of them. I have never seen him fly at all. (Silkies can't fly do to their feathers being more like hair.) He has turned into a very handsome rooster and seems to know it!

Peeps, one fine looking Cornish rooster!