Chickens in our backyard

I mentioned we have chickens in my last blog.  We now have 5 more! 

We went to a the Tractor supply store in Delaware to stock up on chicken food and fell in love with the baby chicks in a cage near the check out counter.  We already have 3, 2 yr old hens, but who can resist all that fluff.  

  http://www.tractorsupply.com/StoreLocatorSearchAndResultsView

 We have one Cochin hen; she is all black almost iridescent, with feathery legs down to her feet. She produces a small brown egg.  Two Red Sex links; this is a cross between a Rhode Island Red and a Leghorn, they produce a large brown egg.  The other 5 hens we purchased 2 years ago as peeps, (baby chicks one-two days old) have left us at various times due to predators in the area.  However, this is a learning experience for all of us.  The children are learning the cycle of life and my husband and I are learning it along with them.  We gave names to our hens because they give us fresh eggs daily and we like to thank them.

 When we were down to the 3 hens I was worried about the egg production.  Hens slow down their laying in the winter months and as they get older. It takes them a while to build up the production in the spring. We were enjoying their fresh eggs and it is difficult to buy a carton of eggs knowing how lovely a fresh egg is.  The trip to the tractor supply store was only to stock up on feed to supplement their grazing but when I saw how excited the kids were over the chicks and I looked at my husband who was thinking the same as me, thank goodness, we made a quick decision to get the last two Araucana pullets (1 week old chicks).  I always pined for an Araucana chicken because it produces a bluish greenish egg.  The pullets will not lay eggs until they are 18-21 weeks old but it will be worth the wait.  Meanwhile, we get to hold them and feed them and I find myself spending lots of time watching their behavior, very similar to when my own children were infants.

So the chicken count adds up to 3 hens and 2 pullets, we were given 3 more (1 year old hens) the same week to make 8 chickens.  The three new girls are very good layers and happen to be 2 Rhode Island Reds, (brown eggs) and one white Leghorn (white egg).  Now we will have multicolor eggs in various sizes to eat and the gift giving of eggs will be fun for everyone.  

If you are interested in seeing free roaming chickens visit the Stratford Ecological Center in Stratford Ohio. http://www.stratfordecologicalcenter.org/ It’s a scenic drive N on 315 along the Olentangy River.  I love taking the kids there at least once a season to experience “farm” life up close.  You can buy fertile eggs here and many other products made from the livestock and gardens on their property.   Stratford also has programs for children and adults to learn about and “understand the relationship between living things and their environment.”