SUSAN: Today, May 22, one year ago ... our 47 chickens were put into a small box in Iowa and mailed by the USPS to Hickory where we picked them up the next day. It's so hard to believe that it's been ONE YEAR ago that our chooks were born and we picked them up! We've learned quite a bit in this first year and made a few mistakes ... but, mostly we've had great fun.
The chickens were serenaded with the "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" song and extra corn scratch as their present ... and, of course the joy of being one of the remaining 24!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Larger Additions
NIGEL:
We now have 2 Boer goats. We bought Matilda (older brown) & Daisy (5 mths mostly white) last Wednesday. (See photos) They were initially very high maintenance as they wanted to be next to me at all times (they were obviously spoiled by their previous family). Otherwise they would bleat pathetically. So as I added the barbed wire, they would be sure to stay nearby/underneath my feet. With several days of being ignored, they have settled down a lot!
The chickens & goats ignored each other, unless accidentally cornered. Panic would strike until either made an escape was made. The goats were more curious than scared.... but the chickens were curious until they felt cornered.
Had to limit their area b/c they enjoyed our trees too much, despite all of the lovely long grass & weeds??? I will need to build a sturdier gate so we can access them more readily. The adventure begins!!!
More Additions
NIGEL:
We now have 6 chicks - 5 Australorps & 1 Winedotte!!! Very exciting. We were getting one a day for a few days. They have been faithfully adopted by the hen in the brooder. Her first chick is considerably bigger than the others and loves to imitate his mom! Photos are difficult, but we hope to get better ones soon.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Another Grandchick!
NIGEL:
I wandered down to let the chooks out this morning... cold 40'F!
As I neared the coop I heard a new type of cheeping (we have a nest of birds in the ceiling of the coop). When I went in I saw a new chick on the floor amongst the hens. It must have jumped from the top laying box! Susan said she noticed a crack in one of the eggs last night. She is now officially a skilled chick-about-to-hatch expert!!
Anyway I hastily caught it & moved it into the brooder. I had to readjust the lamp, etc. so it would keep warm without its mom (who is sitting on 9 other eggs). It had only recently hatch as it still had some wet areas. He warmed up after a while. I went back later & the mom hen already in the brooder had adopted the little chick! It was awesome! Her chick hung out under her wing while the new chick was (I am guessing) under her belly being super warm. Awesome!!
I wandered down to let the chooks out this morning... cold 40'F!
As I neared the coop I heard a new type of cheeping (we have a nest of birds in the ceiling of the coop). When I went in I saw a new chick on the floor amongst the hens. It must have jumped from the top laying box! Susan said she noticed a crack in one of the eggs last night. She is now officially a skilled chick-about-to-hatch expert!!
Anyway I hastily caught it & moved it into the brooder. I had to readjust the lamp, etc. so it would keep warm without its mom (who is sitting on 9 other eggs). It had only recently hatch as it still had some wet areas. He warmed up after a while. I went back later & the mom hen already in the brooder had adopted the little chick! It was awesome! Her chick hung out under her wing while the new chick was (I am guessing) under her belly being super warm. Awesome!!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Mothering
SUSAN:
Well, it's just TERRIFIC to be "grandma" to our new little chick! The mother hen is demonstrating great "mothering" behavior -- she clucks to the little chick to get back underneath her wing, she pecks at the little chick a bit, AND she allows the little chick to peck her eyeballs. Oh, a Mother's Love ...
Bad news is that the mother hen abandoned her third egg. When I arrived home after work on Friday, the egg was cold and she had decided to nest in another corner of the brooder. I guess that's how it works [Note: this was not detailed in the Chicken Bible, how you would know whether the eggs was every going to hatch. Good lesson.]
Now we're ready for the next Hatch-Day for our 10 eggs!
Well, it's just TERRIFIC to be "grandma" to our new little chick! The mother hen is demonstrating great "mothering" behavior -- she clucks to the little chick to get back underneath her wing, she pecks at the little chick a bit, AND she allows the little chick to peck her eyeballs. Oh, a Mother's Love ...
Bad news is that the mother hen abandoned her third egg. When I arrived home after work on Friday, the egg was cold and she had decided to nest in another corner of the brooder. I guess that's how it works [Note: this was not detailed in the Chicken Bible, how you would know whether the eggs was every going to hatch. Good lesson.]
Now we're ready for the next Hatch-Day for our 10 eggs!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Free Range Eggs - The Benefits
NIGEL:
More vitamins, less cholesterol and saturated fat — not to mention great flavor! — free-range eggs are far superior to supermarket eggs.
The results are coming in from Mother Earth News’ latest round of pastured egg nutrient tests. Once again, pastured egg producers are kicking the commercial industry’s butt — yippee, go free range! Our previous tests found that eggs from hens raised on pasture — as compared to the official USDA data for factory-farm eggs — contain:
1/3 less cholesterol
1/4 less saturated fat
2/3 more vitamin A
Two times more omega-3 fatty acids
Three times more vitamin E
Seven times more beta carotene
Now we’re looking at vitamin D, of which many people don’t get enough. New research is showing that this common vitamin deficiency may be related to much more than just weak bones — from diabetes and cancer to heart disease and multiple sclerosis. (You can read more about this important health issue in Vitamin D: Sunshine and So Much More.)
Our bodies can get vitamin D in two ways: when sunlight strikes our skin, or from our diet. Eggs are one of a small list of foods that are naturally rich in vitamin D. The USDA says supermarket eggs contain an average of 34 International Units per 100 grams. Our tests of eggs from four pastured farms in Texas, Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania found that their eggs contained three to six times as much vitamin D as typical supermarket eggs. This means two scrambled eggs from pastured hens may give you 63 to 126 percent of the recommended daily intake of 200 IU of vitamin D.
You can keep track of our ongoing pastured egg research at our Chicken and Egg Page. If you raise pastured chickens and are interested in participating in one of our studies, e-mail us.
Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com
More vitamins, less cholesterol and saturated fat — not to mention great flavor! — free-range eggs are far superior to supermarket eggs.
The results are coming in from Mother Earth News’ latest round of pastured egg nutrient tests. Once again, pastured egg producers are kicking the commercial industry’s butt — yippee, go free range! Our previous tests found that eggs from hens raised on pasture — as compared to the official USDA data for factory-farm eggs — contain:
1/3 less cholesterol
1/4 less saturated fat
2/3 more vitamin A
Two times more omega-3 fatty acids
Three times more vitamin E
Seven times more beta carotene
Now we’re looking at vitamin D, of which many people don’t get enough. New research is showing that this common vitamin deficiency may be related to much more than just weak bones — from diabetes and cancer to heart disease and multiple sclerosis. (You can read more about this important health issue in Vitamin D: Sunshine and So Much More.)
Our bodies can get vitamin D in two ways: when sunlight strikes our skin, or from our diet. Eggs are one of a small list of foods that are naturally rich in vitamin D. The USDA says supermarket eggs contain an average of 34 International Units per 100 grams. Our tests of eggs from four pastured farms in Texas, Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania found that their eggs contained three to six times as much vitamin D as typical supermarket eggs. This means two scrambled eggs from pastured hens may give you 63 to 126 percent of the recommended daily intake of 200 IU of vitamin D.
You can keep track of our ongoing pastured egg research at our Chicken and Egg Page. If you raise pastured chickens and are interested in participating in one of our studies, e-mail us.
Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
GRANDPARENTS!!!!!
NIGEL:
We are grandparents!!!!!
One of our Australorp hens hatched a chick this morning!!!! She still has one under her. I have moved her ... surprisingly successfully to the brooder. Very exciting!!!!
We are soooo... proud!!
Susan hasn't seen him/her yet.
I have modified the coop interior to make things easier, by adding a new door to the rooster section.
We are grandparents!!!!!
One of our Australorp hens hatched a chick this morning!!!! She still has one under her. I have moved her ... surprisingly successfully to the brooder. Very exciting!!!!
We are soooo... proud!!
Susan hasn't seen him/her yet.
I have modified the coop interior to make things easier, by adding a new door to the rooster section.
Spring has arrived
NIGEL:
Well the flowers are starting bloom! We are close to being Grandparents.... we hope.... having two hens sitting on eggs. One on two.... I was worried as the hen had been sitting for more than 3 weeks (gestation time for chooks) & the eggs hadn't hatched. It had been fertilized. :(
We have the brooder in place & ready for our new arrivals. Then other Australorp hen has 10 eggs under her as other chooks kept laying eggs in her box when she would take a brief reprieve from them!
Anyway the place is looking good. I returned #46 back to the other roosters as that was the main thing he did after shifting him to the hens.... he hung out with the roosters??? Anyway next thing we know he was getting beaten up... mostly by Jack & Blackbeard. So moved him back... he had TWO tail feathers left, now it is ONE. He doesn't linger with the rooster much now.
You can see the goat barn next to the coop.
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