I keep a backyard flock of about 40 chickens, about 7 or 8

hedgehog

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Wed Mar-03-10 01:51 PM
Original message

I keep a backyard flock of about 40 chickens, about 7 or 8

different breeds and a couple cross-breeds.

My flock includes Buff Orpingtons

and a couple Buff Cochin Bantams,

and i got to tell you, one of the Bantam roosters is really ambitious....

or delusional.....

or something....

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kimi

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Wed Mar-03-10 02:10 PM
Response to Original message

1. I've always wanted to keep chickens

and yours are absolutely gorgeous. But even with the advantages of fresh eggs, lovely manure and all, I have no doubt that I'd get too fond of them and end up running a retirement home for chickens, cause I'd never be able to send the older ones to the stewpot when they stop laying eggs. As it is, I run an assisted living facility for 4 rabbits, who have all passed the 9-year mark.

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hedgehog

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Wed Mar-03-10 02:18 PM
Response to Reply #1

2. We used to butcher them out, but the yard was too lonely the next day,

They tasted good, but it just wasn't worth it. We just collect the eggs and feed and water them now. Our justification is that they eat deer ticks, so they are protecting us from Lyme disease.

(What, you don't believe me? Do you see any deer ticks in the yard?)

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Quantess

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Wed Mar-03-10 03:11 PM
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3. So, your little rooster is in love with the giant buff orpington hen?

Not surprising. All roosters seem to prefer the big hens. The little hens tend to get overlooked, it seems to me.

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hedgehog

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Wed Mar-03-10 03:26 PM
Response to Reply #3

4. Well, at least in lust.....

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Quantess

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Wed Mar-03-10 03:31 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. The fat hens are the pin-up girls.

We had a little hen that frequently tried to hatch out her eggs, but the eggs just rotted because they were unfertilized. The rooster hardly noticed her. So we switched her dud eggs with eggs from bigger hens, and those hatched.

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hedgehog

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Wed Mar-03-10 03:32 PM
Response to Reply #5

6. LOL! I got the banties last year because I read they were good setters.

My husband wants to know how I expect them to set the eggs from the big hens!

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Quantess

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Wed Mar-03-10 03:54 PM
Response to Reply #6

7. We reach right under her and do a switch.

We don't trade them ALL, just 3 or 4. But she will jump off the nest as soon as the chicks start to hatch, so you had better time it right, or some eggs will end up only half-hatched.

In our case, it works because our rooster never hides the sausage with the littlest hen, and all her eggs are duds.

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Demoiselle

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Wed Mar-03-10 06:15 PM
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8. Aw so pretty...

And I like to imagine the sound track in your yard, too. Cluckety cluck cluck. I couldn't send them to the stew pot either.

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