Category: Hens

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Hens raising happy, healthy chickens Roosters

What Are The Best Dual Purpose Backyard Chickens?

herd of hen
Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com

There are more than 500 chicken breeds in the world. And I’m going to be absolutely honest, I am not familiar with all of them. Because I haven’t been everywhere around the globe. So I can’t tell you that I personally know what every bird out there is like. However I do know some birds in the United States. Also, I have purebred chickens and hybrids. And both have good and not quite as good qualities. Although, for this post, let’s discuss what are the best dual purpose backyard chickens?

What do I mean by dual purpose? A dual purpose chicken is one that is a good egg producer and large enough for meat. So it’s not necessarily bred for meat production, unlike broilers.

Dual purpose Black Easter Eggers and Ameraucanas

Easter Eggers: My First Choice for Best Dual Purpose Backyard Chicken

So why do I think Easter Eggers make great dual purpose backyard birds? First of all, they aren’t a breed that’s recognized by the American Poultry Association. And a lot of people lump any chicken that carries the blue gene into EEs. Even if it has a different colored egg other than blue. As long as its ancestors carried the blue gene, they are regarded as Easter Eggers.

However, I know my EEs are indeed EEs, because I bred them. So I know who their parents are. And they have at least one parent that is an Ameraucana, which is the rooster. You can read this article or this other one here for some interesting info regarding some snobbery in show chicken circles.

But Easter Eggers are my first choice for best dual purpose backyard bird, because:

  • They’re healthy

In 2016 we incubated Ameraucana eggs that were fertilized by our Cream Legbar. And the results were crossbred chickens, or Easter Eggers. None of the EEs we’ve bred have had health issues, other than the occasional issue of mites.

Ameraucana chick
One of our original chicks.
  • Live long

Hybrids generally don’t live as long as purebreds, however Easter Eggers can live up to 8 years! Except for the boys, the crossbreeds we hatched from our Cream Legbar are still alive. And that’s been over 6 years!

  • Resilient

They also do very well in the winters here in Oklahoma. Plus, the past couple of winters have been the worst since we’ve had chickens. The birds didn’t come out of the coop for a week each year, and they looked terrible. Thankfully we didn’t lose any of them. Though both roosters got a tiny bit of frostbite on their combs; it was just that cold.

  • Good, consistent layers

EEs are also very good egg layers. I have an equal amount of EEs who lay the same blue eggs as my Ameraucanas. And the other EEs lay brown, except one, who lays olive colored eggs. In addition, they all lay around 5 days a week. During their molt, of course egg production drops off. But as soon as January rolls around, they’re back at it.

  • Friendly

Easter Eggers are sociable chickens, with both people and other members of the flock. Sometimes how we raise them can influence their behavior, I’ve noticed. Also, whether or not they were incubated and hand-raised, or chicken-raised can influence them. If their only influence is chickens though, they still come around.

Dual purpose Ameraucana Cuckoo Maran mix
This is Baby Nay. His mother is a Cuckoo Maran, and his dad is Megatron.
  • Can be Sex Linked

Depending on the birds you have, and if you breed them, they can be sex linked. At least ours can be. Normally Sex Links are crossbred chickens whose color at hatching is distinguished by sex. However usually all of our chicks are black at hatching, because Megatron is all black. He has extremely strong genes, thus we have a lot of black chickens. Anyway, depending upon the egg the chick was in, I can tell whether the chick will be a girl or a boy.

If the egg is blue, I don’t bother trying to figure out their sex at hatch. We just have to wait and see. However, if the chick is in a Maran or Barred Rock egg, I’ll know whether the chick will be boy or girl. Because the boy will have a spot on its head at hatch. Otherwise he might be completely black or gray. But eventually he’ll get spots all over, like his mother.

bird animal farm grass
Photo by Brandie Robbins on Pexels.com

Silver Laced Wyandottes: My Second Choice for Best Dual Purpose Backyard Chicken

The second best dual purpose backyard chicken on my list is the Silver Laced Wyandotte. Silver Laced Wyandottes were developed around the end of the 19th century. And they were included into the American Standard of Perfection in 1883. Further, they were named for the native people, the Wyandot, of North America. Wyandottes are also a dual purpose bird, however they are bigger than Easter Eggers. So they would readily have more meat on them compared to Easter Eggers and Ameraucanas.

  • Great leaders

My number one reason for choosing the Wyandotte is that they make excellent leaders. In my experience and in my mother-in-law’s, we’ve both had Wyandottes who climbed the ladder and became boss chickens. Usually the more socially dominant chicken will be the leader. However they weren’t necessarily aggressive; they just instinctively knew what needed to be done and got it done, so to speak.

Our boss hen, Fives, would always run after the new roosters to get them away from the other hens. And she and her sister would raise the juvenile hens and roosters, teaching them their place. Further, she took better care of the flock than the rooster we had back then, before teaching Megatron his job.

  • They’re beautiful

Wyandottes come in several different colors, each more beautiful than the last: black, blue, buff, Columbian, golden laced, partridge, silver laced, and silver pencilled.

Dual purpose Black Ameraucana hen and rooster
Megatron and his hatchery mate, Shockwave, eating a banana.

I’ve mentioned that I think EEs and Wyandottes are two of the best dual purpose backyard chickens out there. My third and final choice for the best dual purpose backyard bird is the Ameraucana.

Ameraucanas: My Third Choice for Best Dual Purpose Backyard Chicken

Like Easter Eggers, they start off on the small side. Thus, if you want to raise them for meat, it takes time to get there. With roosters you don’t want to wait too long for them to get big, because they won’t taste great, the texture isn’t right, etc, after ~ 4 months. But you can still make a decent meal out of any extra roos. And you have more time with hens.

  • Long life

One of the reasons I picked Ameraucanas as one of the best dual purpose birds, is because of their long life. Of the 7 original chicks my daughters brought back from Texas, both of the Ameraucanas remain. The other 5 birds are dead. Although one of the Sex Link chicks died when it was still very young. Also, Megatron and his hatchery-mate are the next oldest Ameraucana chickens we have at ~ 5 years old.

  • They’re hardy

Additionally they do very well in the winters here in Oklahoma, like our Easter Eggers. Since summers can be hard on them, we have added lots of trees. And we continually add ice to their water and give them cold treats to help keep them cool.

  • Easy, friendly, and docile

If you get them when they’re only a day-old, or incubate the eggs yourself and handle them well and often when they’re young, they will treat you like a valuable member of the flock. I recommend keeping to 4 or 5 chicks at a time, in order to accomplish this though. More than this, you’re not able to invest the time and energy needed to be with them. It also helps to imprint on them.

Dual purpose red brown Ameraucana hens at back door
Our brat ‘Caunas at our back door, waiting for handouts.

In the spring of 2017 our girls returned to East Texas for more chicks. When they came back, we hand fed the chicks (above), spent hours with them, and invested ourselves in them. I can’t really tell you why, except they were so darn cute.

  • Dual purpose Ameraucana chick
  • Ameraucana chick
  • red brown Ameraucana chicks

In the above pictures, the very top one is of Astrid. She is a beardless Ameraucana. And she lays bright blue eggs, and in every other way, resembles her relatives. But because she sports no beard, she would be considered ugly by breed standards. The picture just below hers is of Davis, and when she was little, she had the chubbiest cheeks ever. Davis’s favorite thing to do was eat. The bottom photo is all 4 of those chicks together.

We kept those girls inside the house with us (in a pen) until they were nearly grown to adulthood; they were the only ones we did that with. Whenever I go outside to feed them, they come running. They prefer to eat out of my hand, and I don’t mind.

  • They go broody

If you’d prefer not to have to incubate and raise chicks, then having a broody chicken makes an excellent option. Because most of the time, broody birds are fully capable of handling it.

Since having chickens, every single bird that we’ve had that’s gone broody, has either been an Ameraucana or an Easter Egger.

Dual purpose Ameraucana hen with 2 chicks
Davis with her two chicks.

Davis remains the only one of our hens that allowed us to visit her while she was broody. Without screeching, overly puffing herself up, or generally being disagreeable. When her chicks hatched, she even allowed us to see and touch them. It definitely pays off to spend that quality time with them when they’re young.

  • Hens are as beautiful as roosters

In most breeds only the rooster is fabulous. In fact, in nature the male bird has the best plumage, while the female is usually drab and plain. It’s very rare to see a female bird look fantastic, competing with the male for beauty and distinction. I’m not saying Ameraucana hens are the most beautiful hens out there; I’ve seen a lot of pretty hens that outclass even roosters. What I am saying is all of their traits, taken together, make them one of the all around best dual purpose chickens.

What about you? Do you have a favorite dual purpose breed, and if so, which one? Your comments are appreciated.

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Chicks Hens raising happy, healthy chickens Roosters

Dos and Don’ts of Feeding Chickens

Chickens eating On dos and don'ts of feeding chickens

Since our backyard birds are omnivores, and love to eat just about anything, I’m going to cover the dos and don’ts of feeding chickens to keep them healthy. Furthermore, I’ll go over the different types of feed available. And I’ll list some things not to give your birds as well as some things that are OK in moderation.

Types of Feed

There are three main types of chicken feed, depending on their age. However, there are other types within those, which also depend on if you have show birds or meat birds, or a whole host of other options. But these are the main types base upon age.

  • Chick Starter for healthy chicks
Chick Starter

In one of my other posts, I had already mentioned chick starter. You primarily only purchase this when you have baby chickens from 0-10 weeks old. It comes in medicated or non-medicated, organic or non-organic. And it has a protein level between 18% and 22%, because the chicks are growing. And they require more protein when they’re growing. There are also higher protein starter feeds. However, those are for meat birds like turkey, quail, and pheasant. Although, it can also be used for broilers to fatten them up.

  • Grower Feeds for healthy adolescent chickens
Chick Grower

Starting around 10 weeks of age, a grower feed can replace the chick starter. For backyard birds, you need a grower feed that will contain 16-18% protein that’s designed to sustain growth till the birds hit maturity. You can also find this in organic as well.

Layer Feeds for healthy chickens

Around 18 weeks of age, layer feed can be fed to your backyard flock or whenever the first egg is laid, whichever happens first. You want one that contains 16% protein and increased calcium for the shell development. Again, there are brands that provide organic layer feed.

Consistencies in Those Categories:

Within those three backyard flock feed categories, there are some other classifications based mainly on the texture and size of the feed.

  • Mash

Mash is an unprocessed form of chicken feed that is more often given to chicks, because it’s easier to digest. However, it can be given to chickens of any age.

  • Crumble
Crumble feed for chicks

Chick starter, grower feed, and layer feed can all be purchased in crumbles. As one can well imagine, it’s easier to eat. Though, as the birds mature, one downside is that when they scratch their feed, as they are accustomed to doing, it tends to get all over the place. And so, a lot of it gets wasted. I have also heard of people having issues finding layer feed in crumbles. If you have a backyard flock, or are interested in starting one, a big determination on what type of feed you continue to purchase for their laying needs will be their preferences. They will definitely let you know what they like or dislike.

  • Pellets
Layer pellets

Only grower feed and layer feed can be purchased in layer pellets.

The Don’ts of Feeding Your Backyard Birds: What to Avoid

Don’t offer more than 2 tbsp of treats per day to a hen’s ~ 1/2 cup nutritional requirements that she’s supposed to get from her feed. But additionally, avoid offering

  • treats first thing in the morning, if you offer any, before the birds have eaten their layer feed and foraged.
  • cracked corn or sunflower seeds as a substitution for feed; they are treats. With that being said let me add something. In the fall months when the chickens are molting, sunflower seeds are packed with protein, and protein is what they need during that time. So, for a short amount of time, it’s OK to give your flock sunflower seeds with their feed, but only for that short time. Cracked corn is not feed, and I nickname it ‘crack’, because the birds treat it like that. Oh, they love it, but it makes the eggs runny and loose when you crack the shells, because there’s hardly any protein in them.
  • your chickens avocado pits and skins, because they are toxic.
  • under-cooked or dried beans to your backyard birds. Because they contain something that can prevent your birds from digesting anything they eat.
  • your backyard flock rhubarb. It might have a laxative effect on your birds. Also, if the rhubarb is damaged by severe cold, it can have a high concentration of a particular acid which can be deadly to backyard birds.
  • rotten and very salty foods to your birds, which can give them diarrhea and can also be toxic.
  • Processed foods should not be given to the flock.
  • Very greasy foods should be avoided, because they could be hard for them digest.
  • Raw potato peels, particularly if they are green from sun exposure, contain solanine, which is toxic.
  • And avoid coffee due to the caffeine and chocolate, because those might be toxic.

Snacks that are Safe for Your Backyard Birds: Give These Treats In Moderation

  • As I mentioned above, figure no more than 2 tbsp per day to 1/2 cup of layer feed. And sunflower seeds make an excellent snack in moderation.
  • Bread: Chickens love bread, at least mine do, and it doesn’t really matter the flavor.
  • Fruits: They can eat most fruits with the exception of rhubarb. Some of my flock’s fave’s are apples, strawberries, tomatoes, bananas, grapes, watermelon, pumpkin, cantaloupe, and blueberries, just to name a few.
  • Vegetables: Again, just like with fruits, most vegetables are fine to give your flock. When we’ve had our vegetable garden in past springs, our birds loved to sneak in to steal the bell peppers and kale. But they also love cabbage, corn, and sweet potatoes.
  • There are some that say you can’t give your birds citrus. However, not everyone agrees on that. There are also some who claim you can’t give your birds onions or garlic. But that is really only because it might flavor the eggs. The first spring that we had layer hens we planted a garden, and our hens got into the onions! They smelled like chicken onion burgers. It didn’t hurt them, however now that they are older they don’t eat onions, fresh or cooked. So their taste buds changed.
  • Cooked meat: Any leftovers you may have, remembering to keep it to snack-size.
  • Eggs: I know this might sound gross, but chickens love eggs. However, you don’t want to encourage cannibalism or to encourage them to eat their own eggs. But if I find a cracked egg, which will happen on occasion with 30-something birds, I scramble it up and give it them, rather than throwing it out.

We covered a lot, going over the different types of feed for chickens, including safe and unsafe snacks. If you have anything to add, please feel free. Or if you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

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Chicks Hens raising happy, healthy chickens

What Does Molting Mean for Chickens

brown chick
Photo by Brenda Timmermans on Pexels.com

The definition of molting, according to Free Dictionary is to shed part or all of a coat or outer covering. Such as feathers, cuticles, or skin, which is then replaced by new growth. In this case, chickens molting is a time where they lose their feathers. And there are a few reasons chickens can lose their feathers. But to know the answer why correctly, depends on where the feather loss occurs and the time of year. Is it affecting all the birds or just a few?

When I talk about my birds going through their molt, or losing their feathers to friends or family, I refer to it as ‘the ugly’. If you have chickens that have gone through molting, then you know what I mean.

Chickens Molting: Why do they Molt

I already mentioned how molting is simply where the bird will shed its feathers. It’s somewhat like a snake shedding its skin. However the reasons snakes and chickens molt are completely different.

chicken molting on grass
One of our black sex links going through the annual molt.

Chicks will molt roughly about 4 times before they reach adulthood, when their tail feathers come in and they’re ready to lay eggs. But then they won’t molt again until the following year. So why do the birds lose their feathers. And are there other symptoms?

When we first noticed our birds losing their feathers, at the time we didn’t know that’s what it was; we just thought something was wrong with them. Our boss hen, Fives, was sitting down a lot, resting. She just seemed so tired. The birds also started eating a lot more, and voraciously, like they were starving. And then they got ‘the ugly’, where their feathers started coming out. Though it wasn’t evenly distributed among the population. Some birds just looked ragged, while others were completely bare.

Juvenile Ameraucana Hens going through one of their molts
Juvenile Ameraucana hens.

I talked to my mother-in-law about it, who told me her birds were experiencing the same thing. She was the one who informed me what it was: Molting. Now I had a name to go with what I was seeing in my birds. I learned that, depending on the bird (or breed), they could molt twice a year, lose their feathers, and stop laying eggs for up to 12 weeks.

chicken molting on grass
Smiley, going through her molt.

When chickens molt, it’s a time for them to rest and recuperate from the work they’ve done all year round. That’s why our boss hen was sitting down much of the time. They lose their feathers only to grow in more and look absolutely fabulous when the new ones come in. It’s also a time for them to replenish their feathers, to prepare for winter. Typically our birds

  • start shedding their feathers the end of summer/beginning of fall, and it lasts about 3 months.
  • Egg production starts trickling down until all of the birds are in various stages of shedding their feathers.
  • And the youngest ones recover the fastest.
  • Further, by the time all the birds are molting, egg production is at a stand-still. Unless we have new hens.
  • And egg production doesn’t start back up until all have recovered.
chicken molting
Molting hen.

When the backyard flock goes through the molt, their dietary needs are different. Hens that are laying eggs need more calcium in their diet, because eggshells are primarily made out of calcium. However, when they molt, because their feathers consist mainly of protein, that is what hens need to recover and get back to laying eggs.

How to Help Your Chickens During Their Molt

Flock Raiser feed
High Protein Feed for Poultry.

At the first sign of your chickens molting, which will more than likely be feathers coming out around the end of summer, switch them to a high protein feed with 20% protein. You want to

  • keep the stress low
  • with clean, fresh water
  • proper air ventilation
  • and avoid adding new birds during this time

While chickens are losing their feathers, they can be sensitive, so avoid handling them.

Some backyard flock owners install lights in the coop to encourage egg laying during this time. That’s completely up to you, however, as a reminder, this is a time for the flock to rest and recover. When your flock starts producing eggs again, switch back to their layer feed by mixing it with the high protein feed to make sure there aren’t any digestive issues.

Molting isn’t only restricted to hens; roosters will also molt, though not as aggressively as the hens. They tend to lose tail feathers from what I’ve witnessed, again only to have them grow back in more beautiful and fuller than they were previously.

I hope this answered any questions you might have had. If you have any others I didn’t address, please feel free to ask.

Categories
Hens Protecting Your Backyard Birds raising happy, healthy chickens Roosters

How to Introduce New Chickens to the Flock

If you’re a backyard chicken owner, then it’s likely that with the onset of every spring, you are familiar with the desire to purchase new chicks or chickens. This hobby can be very addictive. So this post is intended to help you know how to introduce new chickens to the flock. Because, otherwise, the new birds can upset the pecking order or bring diseases to your backyard birds.

quarantined chickens for introducing backyard birds

How to Introduce New Adult Chickens to The Existing Flock

When introducing adult chickens

  • Never introduce solo chickens to your flock.

Chickens can be mean. Even if you follow all of the recommendations for introducing new backyard birds, if you only present 1 chicken to your existing flock, that bird will inevitably be abused. It stands a better chance if you at least present it with one or 2 other birds. I don’t recommend adding more than that to a well established flock. This is because, more birds can greatly upset the pecking order, especially dependent upon the breeds you’re introducing. Which could cause stress in your existing hens, possibly making them stop laying eggs.

  • Don’t allow the new birds around your existing members until after you’ve quarantined the newest ones.

This way you can make sure the new birds are disease and parasite free. You don’t want to possibly give the rest of your flock something. Most people recommend keeping the new birds away from your established flock for a month. But I’ve also seen numbers ranging from no less than a week to 30 days. Also, while you are monitoring the new chickens, be sure to wash your hands when going from them to the existing flock.

  • Watch for pale combs and wattles, feather loss, lethargy, and scaly legs on the new members.

If you purchased the new birds from a reputable dealer, it generally isn’t necessary to isolate the birds for so long.

And then, once you’re satisfied that the new members are healthy, put them somewhere the rest of the flock can see them, and vice versa, preferably for a few days. If you can put the newbies in an enclosure, in the run, so the newbies and existing ones can observe each other, this is the ideal way for everyone to start getting to know each other without excessive violence. You want to do this for at least a couple of days. Because it helps to alleviate stress in the pecking order when the birds are finally let loose in the yard and coop.

  • Finally, add the newest members, at night, to the coop.

Chickens can’t see well in the dark, so this makes it the perfect time to sneak in the newbies. Then monitor behaviors in both the new birds and existing flock the next morning.

It would be unusual if you didn’t see members of your established flock peck the newbies. This is perfectly natural and acceptable. They are establishing the pecking order with the newest members. And depending on the breed(s) of chickens you have and then recently acquired, it may be limited to only pecking here and there.

However, there are more aggressive/dominant chicken breeds. And if the newest members happen to be one of those breeds, then you might see more than pecking. That’s because those hens will more than likely want to ascend to the top of the pecking order.

Wyandotte/Cream Legbar Hen

If one of the birds starts bullying, and you know which one it is, then remove that bird from the group. Put her somewhere like in a cage or a separate enclosure, away from the rest of the flock, with food and water. And after a couple of days, reunite her with the group. If her behavior hasn’t changed, purchase Pinless Peepers. They sort of act as blinders for the hen’s eyes, which will prevent her from bullying.

If the whole flock (or the majority) is bullying one hen, first you’ll need to check her over for injuries. You’ll more than likely have to separate the bullied hen from everyone since there’s too many doing the bullying in this case. And usually the bullying is due to an injury or a quirk the hen has, that the rest of the flock sees as a weakness. It will continue in this situation for as long as the hen lives.

juvenile chickens

How to Introduce New Chicks to the Flock

When introducing chicks to the flock

  • They should have their adult feathers. Sooner than that, they could get hypothermia.
  • Most people recommend that the chicks be adult size, (so no longer chicks) before putting them in the general population.

We followed this advise with the first, second, and third set of chicks we purchased and our first set of incubated chicks. However, as we got accustomed to raising chickens and our particular birds, we stopped waiting till the chicks were full size.

I don’t suggest this until you are very familiar with your flock and know their temperament. As I mentioned above, some chicken breeds tend to be more contentious than others. So, this will dictate how and when you introduce new chicks to your existing flock.

chicks
  • After their adult feathers are in, put the new chicks in a cage or an enclosure in the run. This serves the same purpose as when you’re introducing adult birds to the flock; so they can see each other.

With our second set of incubated chicks, we waited till they had their adult feathers and then brought the chicks out, in a pet cage. And then we put it in the run, so that they could see the adults, and the adults could see them. We only had 5 that time, so the cage was big enough for them. They also were protected from the adults (thus the cage), and they were protected from the elements and predators (thus the run). We did this for a few days before letting the chicks free.

We discovered that the adults didn’t pay any attention to the chicks. Because they didn’t deem them a threat to their food or position; they never attacked the chicks. It was only when the chicks got around the same size as the existing birds that the head pecking began. Also, those chicks were some of the smartest chicks we ever had. When it was time to be locked up at night, I would go out there and call them to me, to follow me, and they followed me to the coop to get locked up.

  • Finally, add the chicks to the coop, in the evening. And monitor the existing flock’s behavior the next morning.

Perhaps the most important thing to be careful of when adding chicks to your backyard is predators. You have to watch out for predators for your flock already, however there will be added ones for chicks. Cats, Mississippi Kites, and crows are just a few of the creatures that will not hesitate to attack chicks, but ignore the big girls. And that is merely due to the size difference.

And if you have a rooster, you can’t rely on him to protect the chicks. If he ignores them, he ignores them. Until they get to a certain age and size, they pretty much don’t exist.

introducing chicks to existing flock
Our Ameraucana Maran chicks.

Should You Add a Rooster or Not

Now what do you do when and if you want to add another rooster? I have read other blogs that are adamantly against it, proposing that it’s impossible. Stating and affirming that there will be bloodshed if it’s even attempted. However, I’m here to refute that, because anything is possible. Take most of my roosters, for example, who have not only been introduced but lived together without actual bloodshed.

No one can actually claim that it’s impossible for roosters to get along no matter the situation. And by the same token, I can’t guarantee that all roos will get along. Just, anything is possible. But a good rule to follow is to have 10-12 hens per rooster. And that’s not to be nice to the roos; it’s for the health and safety of the girls.

Since I brought it up, introducing a rooster to the flock is similar to bringing in a new hen:

  • Quarantine him for at least a week or more.
  • Next, have a physical barrier, like a cage, between the flock and the new roo, so they can see each other for a few days before they are thrust together.
  • Introduce the new rooster, in the evening, in the coop.
  • And the following morning, monitor everyone’s behavior.
Cream Legbar Ameracauna Cockerel
Cream Legbar, Ameracauna cockerel.

I’ve mentioned in a previous post here how our Cream Legbar roo was good with his girls relationally, but he was a coward; he’d bring danger to them while opposing us, his benefactors. So, my girls and I wanted to bring someone else in to teach him some manners. That was a joke.

introducing roosters to existing flock
Our Blue Andalusian rooster, Starscream.

We traded a couple of Black Sex-Links for a Blue Andalusian, adolescent rooster we named Starscream. We had a good number of hens, so the girls would be ok, we reasoned. And we wanted our short, scrawny rooster, Casanova, to have someone else to attack instead of us. But that didn’t quite work out the way we wanted it to; they became best buds.

We separated Starscream for the requisite amount of time, then we put him in an enclosure, so the adults could gawk and get accustomed to him. This was the only time Casanova showed true backbone as he made his rooster noises and did his rooster dances for this newcomer.

When we let Starscream out with the other birds, we thought for sure we would have just recompense on our enemy, Casanova; that the Blue Andalusian was going to solve our problems. Boy, were we wrong. Not only did he not solve our original problem, but he created another one.

That he was sexually mature was a fact, but going after the hens was not the issue; we expected that, and once again Casanova proved what a terrible rooster he was, letting this newcomer in and having his way. Yet I have a feeling it was more about self preservation than anything else. If they got into anything at that point, Casanova might win a fight, because of his spurs. And even though they were about the same height, the Blue Andalusian looked weightier than Cass. It would only be a matter of time, I was sure, before Starscream challenged him. We only had to wait, right?

Troubles with Too Many Roosters

We didn’t realize how bad things were with this new roo until one night my husband and I slept without our fan on. Starscream literally screamed (read crowed) all night long. He barely crowed at all during the day; it was like he was being respectful to Cass during the day, in front of him, while at night, he was telling everyone, especially the hens, “I’m the man, I’m the man, I’m the man!” I felt so bad for our neighbors, especially the ones who live closest to the coop.

I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that he crowed all night. All. Night. Long. It kept my husband and me up; I could only imagine the hens couldn’t sleep either. Maybe it was the name we gave him. We were asking for it, right?

4 juvenile Ameraucana hens
Juvenile chickens added to existing flock
Our other birds we added throughout 2017.

We had Starscream for a month and a half to two months before we heard his ‘all-nighter’. That, coupled with the chicks we had brought in over the course of several months (4 introduced as almost adults due to their size, and 5 new adolescent chickens, including Starscream), started having an effect on our established hens and egg production, which I cover in another post. At that point something needed to be done, because he wasn’t serving a good purpose for my girls. I couldn’t continue to wait for him to challenge Casanova and possibly crow all hours of the night, stressing the hens out.

So, if you end up in a situation where your rooster or spare roo is stressing your hens out, you have a few options.

  • You need to cull him. This is the fastest method of solving the problem. Although, sometimes people have a difficult time with that option. It just depends on how serious the issue is. Are your hens actually getting hurt? Because spare roosters can do that too! Is egg production down?
  • Re-home him. This is the best solution. If you can find someone to take the roo off of your hands, everyone wins. Ask around and post something on Facebook; you might get lucky.
  • If you can’t find someone to take him, you can always Google for animal sanctuaries. Sometimes you have to pay a small fee for them to take in the animal. But, it’s worth it.

In Conclusion

Basically introducing roosters, chicks and adult chickens is very similar. You quarantine the adults to make sure they’re not sick. But with chicks, wait until they’re feathered out. And then satisfying the requirements, you place the newbies in an enclosure separate from the established flock, where they can see each other for a few days before combining them in the coop in the evening. Have you ever had any crazy chicken introduction stories? What about chickens bullying other chickens? Your comments are appreciated.

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Categories
Chicks Hens raising happy, healthy chickens Roosters

New Chicks

mixed flock of chicks

While my daughters were in East Texas visiting grandparents, they decided to get some chicks. These new chicks ended up being quite different than our first batch of birds. Additionally, the girls decided on a mixed flock: Ameraucana, Silver-Laced Wyandotte, and Black Sex Link.

When the birds were brought home, we kept them inside with a heat lamp for a few weeks. Then we brought them outside to their new home. This was the first coop my husband made out of upcycled wood, telephone poles, new nails, shingles, and a coat of paint. And originally it was for Casanova and Natalie to call home.

person's hand holding a black and white chick outside in the grass
One of our Black Sex-Link chicks.

It didn’t take long for our girls to name those little chicks. However they didn’t keep their original names. Because, as they got older and got some personality, their names had to fit.

We had two Silver-Laced Wyandottes, which were the oldest chicks in the bunch. They also became the dynamic duo leaders of our little fledgling flock. In addition, we had three brown-red Ameraucana chicks, and two Black Sex Links, bringing our flock to nine members.

Top down view of a mixed flock of chickens eating grass
From left to right, Echo, Casanova, Natalie, Loki, Fives, and Chopper.

Soon we and the birds got into a routine. For the 9 of them, they had a nice green backyard and plenty of space. And we worked on getting more trees. They would serve as shade for the summer months, and hopefully add to everyone’s diet.

It wasn’t until that Winter, when the birds were locked in their coop, due to a heavy snow, that we got our first eggs from them. It had taken around 6 months for the first eggs, and we were so excited.

Deciding to Add More Chicks

The following spring we decided to increase our flock. But, being uncertain about how and when hens go broody, we bought an incubator and started collecting eggs. At the time I felt like we went overboard. I think we had around 20 eggs to incubate on the likelihood that at least half would be cockerels. And if so, we wouldn’t keep them, as I explain why in another post.

newly hatched chick in an incubator surrounded by blue and brown eggs with Sharpie marks on them
Our first home-grown chick and the remaining eggs.

We ordered a simple, inexpensive incubator for our eggs. Thus, we were responsible for turning the eggs. Although it had a mechanism to adjust the temperature, there was no way to know what the temperature was. Therefore, I ordered a digital thermometer with a humidity gauge on it. But there are many different kinds of incubators out there, depending on how much you’re willing to spend and what your needs are.

It takes 21 days for a fertilized chicken egg to fully develop and hatch. Consequently, we dated all of our eggs from the day we took them from the nesting boxes. And because we had such a small flock, my daughter, Hannah, and I knew which chicken laid which egg. I can’t say that about all of our chickens today.

hand enclosing lit up egg from behind with veining inside
Candling one of our hen’s eggs.

After a week, we candled the eggs. That’s where you take a bright light, like a flashlight, up to the egg in a dark room. It’s to see whether the egg is fertilized after it’s been incubated for a few days. It’s called ‘candling’ because candles were originally used. Though how they could see anything is beyond me. We now have Cuckoo Marans, and we still have ‘Caunas. Both have thick eggshells, making it difficult to see if the egg is indeed fertilized.

egg with a crack and x marked on it
Our first pipped egg.

When the first chick was ready to hatch, it pipped, or started pecking the shell with its beak tooth. That’s a horn-like projection on the end of its beak, that falls off a day or two after hatching. Next, the chick unzipped the shell with his beak tooth, around the circumference from where he started his pip.

person's hand holding a newly hatched chick over some pine shavings
Only One Canoli.

Chicks that Hatched

13 chicks hatched within a day and a half. And we lost only 2, besides the eggs that were never fertilized. One egg never hatched, while 1 chick died either from stargazing, which is a thiamine deficiency. Or it had wry neck, which is also a vitamin deficiency. The other option is it could be genetic. Either way the chick only lived 1 week no matter our efforts.

I vividly recall being mesmerized by this batch of chicks, really invested in almost everything they did. Perhaps that’s because it was a completely new experience for me. I soaked up everything I learned about them and chickens in general.

two newly hatched chicks in a narrow box with pine shavings
Two newly hatched chicks.

We took eggs from each hen, fertilized by our Cream Legbar. But mostly we stuck with the Ameraucanas. Even though we only took 2 eggs from our Sex Link, one of those chicks was one we lost. Though we still have the other one that we named Oddball. She resembles a Barred Rock, however she has her dad’s huge comb.

We got a couple of pullets from the Wyandotte hens as well. One was the second chick to hatch out of the clutch. And she is healthy, and still today tends to be a bossy hen like her mom. However, the other one hatched with one foot/claw not fully formed. We surmised that it was a genetic issue. And since we don’t have chicken vets where we live, that wasn’t an option to see one.

If you’re a pet lover like us, then you understand why we didn’t put Kix down. She could get around, and she adapted easily. Further, the other chickens didn’t bother her once they established their pecking order. Not to mention, she had a special place in our youngest daughter’s heart. So we kept her, and she lived 2 years.

Then, after her good foot got infected, we knew it was futile to give her antibiotics. Because she lived outside, and her foot would only get reinfected. Letting Kix go was one of the most difficult and saddest decisions we had to make. But we knew it was better for her.

grey colored deformed chick
Kix, our Cream Legbar/Wyandotte mix.

The reason the one Sex-Link hybrid didn’t live is simply part of the risk. I’ve read instances where many chicks were hatched from a similar pairing, Cream Legbar and Black Sex-Link, with one or two losses. It’s a risk that there will be genetic issues, though I didn’t really understand that going in. Since then I haven’t incubated any more Sex Link eggs.

mixed flock of chicks in a small coop with pine shavings and a green plastic feeder
The first thirteen chicks we hatched.

Unruly Cockerels

Only One Cannoli was our first chick to hatch, and he was a cockerel like 7 of his brothers. Although, he was the only one who bonded with us the way he did, most likely because he was the first-hatched. So when he cheeped and peeped, we came immediately. And by the time the others were hatched, they had each other. Only One Cannoli only had us for the first few hours of life.

juvenile Cream Legbar cockerel perched on a girls shoulder outside
Only One Cannoli with my second daughter. He liked to perch wherever.

We kept the cockerels for 3 months before they totally got unruly. But then we had to slaughter them, because the hens come first. We tried to find homes for them, however where we live, no one wants roosters. They weren’t broilers, so they weren’t fat. Though I was still able to make a few dishes with the meat we got from them. I made roasted chicken, which didn’t hide the gamey taste. However King Ranch Chicken (or Cannoli in this case) and chicken soup tasted good.

Since our first batch of home-grown chicks, we’ve incubated several more times. While I try to go with more manageable numbers, my husband thinks more is better. Also, we purchased more Sex Links, but locally and only once more. And I’ve bought more ‘Caunas, which I’ve driven from 2 to 6 hours to get the ones I wanted, because they are my personal favorite. And last but not least, some of our hens go broody. Yet we still only give the moms-to-be 2 to 3 eggs each.

I would love to hear from you if you have any comments or any stories about your own adventures with chicks.

Categories
Hens raising happy, healthy chickens Roosters

Getting Started with Chickens

Photo by DIPJYOTI DEKA on Pexels.com

We inherited our first birds when we moved into our current home on an acre. And we were told they were Leghorns, and were supposed to be good layers. So, we were excited. There we were, just getting started with chickens.

I live in a small town southwest of Oklahoma City with my family. But originally I’m from Dallas. Therefore, I was more familiar with fashion and makeup trends than with a farm and chickens.

brown chicken
Photo by Maxine Novick on Pexels.com

Furthermore, my first experience with chickens was several years ago on my mother-in-law’s ranch in East Texas. Unless you count eating chicken. She ordered some Rhode Island Reds, which at the time, I had no idea what that meant. I certainly wasn’t aware of all the breeds out there. Or that I would end up having my very own flock.

Getting Started: First Steps

To say we were unprepared is a gross understatement. We had no feed, no waterers or feeders. And we didn’t have a coop either. But at least we had a fence around our half-acre backyard. That was something. However, my husband was, at the time, busy working as a fireman/EMT.

Thus, with his schedule, and lack of immediate funds from buying our house, we decided to make do with a temporary shelter. We made sure there was good ventilation, a roof, and that the shelter would keep them dry. Also, it kept critters from getting them. Although, it was nothing like our birds have today. It was just an emergency shelter.

Getting feed, waterers, and feeders was the easy part. And once we had the temporary shelter in place, along with their necessities, we put the chickens in their shelter.

The Chickens: Not What We Expected

white chicken on the dead grass
Our first hen Natalie was actually a broiler.

It was maybe 2 or 3 days after we got the chickens that we noticed they didn’t seem to do anything. None of them did anything. Except if you consider laying down an activity.

We didn’t so much as inherit the eight chickens as someone my husband worked with gifted them to us. And the local feed store, where he lived, told him the birds were Leghorns.

Well, shortly thereafter, we did some reading and educated ourselves. Then soon discovered that what we had were not, in fact, Leghorns at all. They were broilers!

After the kids recovered from their disappointment of having named the birds, we changed their diet to what they were supposed to eat. And three months later might have signaled the end of that adventure. But in the time we had with our lazy, fat broilers, my daughters and I learned some things about chickens. And some things about our meat chickens too.

We soon realized that most of them were cockerels, who I might add, wouldn’t live to see adulthood. Although there was one pullet in the mix that we were determined to save from her fate. So we called her Natalie.

Our chickens, such as they were, liked to sit or lie in the shade at the fence-line that separates our neighbor’s property from ours. In addition, our neighbor has a couple of dogs, cats, goats, etc. Thus, one day, when all but Natalie and one cockerel were gone, one of my neighbor’s dogs was busy digging under the fence to get at the remaining broilers.

Natalie was smart for a broiler; smart and different. She didn’t stay in the shade at the fence. She would walk around the property and stop sometimes to look at the chickens on the other side of our property. Therefore, when the neighbor’s dog attacked, she got up and ran for cover (as much as a broiler can run), while her brother got snatched under the fence and perished.

Cream colorful cream Legbar rooster on ground
This is our first official rooster, Casanova, a cream Legbar.

Getting Started: Layer Breeds

Our neighbor felt very bad about the loss of our last meat bird. Consequently, he vowed to repay us for our loss with another rooster.

small white chicken egg on ground near white hen
Natalie and her first egg.

Natalie laid her very first egg during the few months that we waited for our new rooster. And she continued to make her rounds around the half-acre.

Before the new rooster arrived, we had a real coop for the couple. And we were definitely prepared unlike with our first birds.

The new rooster was a short little thing, compared to other roosters I’ve seen and had, but very colorful with beautiful tail feathers. For a while we had no idea what breed Casanova was. When I asked my neighbor for incubating purposes, he guessed at game hen. But then I saw pictures of birds like him, along with his progeny, so it’s no longer a mystery.

Being a broiler, Natalie was a lot bigger than Casanova. As such, it was interesting to watch them together, especially at first. They seemed to get along. And our first experience with a rooster overall was not a bad one. Though, that started to change when we got chicks.

Casanova and Natalie in their coop at night.

We now have almost 30 chickens, 3 adult ducks, and 2 guineas. And since it’s late spring, the hens are in full broody mode. Thus, we have 3 or 4 broody hens, of which 3 or 4 chicks have already hatched. Additionally, Paul, my husband decided to incubate again this year. So, there’s a mixture of duck, guinea, and chicken eggs. Thus far, we have 3 keets and ducklings each and only one chick.

How did you get into chicken keeping? Your comments are appreciated.