Chick Decision Time

We go back and forth on this every year...do we get chicks or wait for next year? I usually end up with a couple if I plan it or not, but I think I might do this differently this year. Every season I try to introduce pullets out of the brooder to the rest of the clutch I'm presented with a lot of drama. I divide the coop so the youngsters are safe and hope they get used to being in close quarters before I combine them. There is always at least one of my hens...usually one of my favorites..that insist on picking on the babies. I've made the mistake of getting rid of some great hens because I couldn't have them being so mean. I still miss my Lacy. I have also gone the other route and have gotten rid of the girl that was being picked on by many. Eastie was a favorite pet and would rather be with me than the other hens. I couldn't build a coop just for her so I rehomed her to a friends where she became the leader of the group. It worked out well for her in the end, but I parted with a few great hens before I took that step.

We had a stretch of time this winter when we didn't get any eggs at all. It was just too cold. I have a few that are slowing down a bit. Mama and Jumpers are 4 years old and Mama (my Black Australorp) gets broody a few times a year. I love the Black Australorps...so soft and friendly..but I won't get any more of them. When they lay, they lay very well. They have been the only ones I've had to go so broody. It's very disruptive to the others and of course it cuts in on the egg supply. I'm not allowed to have any roosters here, or else my thinking would be different with them. They are known to be good mothers. We've run out of eggs a few times and we have really grown to not be able to bring ourselves to eat any grocery store eggs. So, we need more good layers.

I would love to stick to heirloom breeds, but on the other hand I see the benefit of the Red Sexlink hen. We have our pet chickens and we love them. I think I'm going to get a batch of hybrids for the egg production and just start a whole new coop just for them. This way I won't have the headache of integrating them and I won't have to worry about what to do with the roos. I had to give up Mr. Dove last season and we really loved him. This may be the best answer for us. Now to find a local breeder.

The Molt is Over!!! Hallelujah

My beautiful Australorp "Mama" - missing feathers on her neck.

Notice the completely missing butt feathers.....

I have to say that when this started I didn't have a clue what was going on. I started giving her yogurt and oatmeal because I thought she was just sick. When I noticed she no longer had tail feathers I totally freaked out. I went through the coop thinking that there was some nightmare lurking in there somewhere.  I have seen posts about rats getting into the coops and literally chewing on chickens.....ohhhh the thought makes me sick. I LOVE the internet! The information at our fingertips changes my world.

Once I learned that what Mama was doing was natural and she was going to be fine it became more annoying. She was renamed "Mama" because she started going broody one time after another. She has been my best layer for 3 years. Yes, 3 years. I guess there is nothing for her to feel bad about. This past summer has been bad for her. It seemed that she was broody starting the beginning of the summer. I even put her in with the babies thinking that she would snap out of it. It didn't work.

Australorps are known to be good mothers, so I wasn't surprised the first time she started puffing up and screaming at me when I went near the nest. I have to say that we got a lot of entertainment out of her. I wanted to make sure she got some foraging time in every day so I would pick her up and put her outside and close up the coop. She would puff up to 3 times her size and run around like a football player. My kids thought this was the silliest thing they had ever seen. It became popular around my house to run around looking puffed up and squawking. I have 4 kids....that's a lot of squawking going on through my hallways:)

Ok, so going broody was one thing. I knew the signs. I knew the behavior. I knew how funny she looked with a featherless belly...(sooooo soft but creepy at the same time)....but I had never seen this before! I thought I had another pecking problem and began chaperoning like an old school marm. I'm going on 4 years with my hens and Mama was one of my original clutch. I've read where molts take place after 18 months, but I either missed it because she has been so broody or she just didn't do it until now. My Easter Egger Jumpers went through it too, but I thought she was just getting older and not laying. She never lost her tail feathers and I also thought she was being pecked on. Boy, I may have gotten rid of a hen a few years ago that I shouldn't kept....I thought she was being beat up so I gave her to a friend. Hmmm...I won't think about that now...

So, a long story short..it's over! I know my hens..I can look at a dozen eggs and tell you who laid which egg. It's official...the 4 month long molt is over. I have in my refrigerator a pretty dark brown egg with little dark specks on that for the first time in a very long time. That's the one I'm having for breakfast tomorrow:) Jumpers should be done also...so I'm looking for the light brown egg...yes, she is an Easter Egger...but she's a bit defective..hey, we all have our faults..don't judge...her eggs should be green/blue, but I love her anyway. It's very interesting that her white beard feathers are now black...if I had more than one Easter Egger I might wonder who she was because she looks so different. We'll be up to a full egg basket soon. My kids wouldn't eat the store bought eggs I had to buy.....ick...I used them for baking...we couldn't actually eat them. Yes, fresh eggs are that different. I love my Hens:) I'm so glad the long molt is over! Hallelujah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDJgxE-0PZI
(this is one of the best renditions I've heard..sooooo pretty. - it's in English..don't let the comments fool you.)

I was going to enter her into the ugly chicken contest...but I felt bad about it.

I would love to hear about other molting stories...this was actually my first time...so I must have a few more coming up soon... I LOVE comments:)