Well, the descendants of the Velociraptor anyway!
The girls had a great day out on Monday. All 8 are doing well and we still get about 4 eggs a day during winter from the hens that are not moulting. The original ISA browns we bought in 2008 are dropping feathers everywhere, but growing back new hair-doos just as fast. Ginger has changed her markings for the third year in a row and is now a speckled hen. The two bantams stopped being broody about three weeks ago all by themselves, as I simply gave up trying to get them to break the habit. I figured that they weren’t hurting themselves and nature would take its course. Maybe next year when they go broody again, I will order in some fertile eggs for them to hatch. Poppy and Pippa would make great little mothers.
Anyway, here are a few shots of the girls that I took after I let them behind the shed to do some weeding for me.
Backyard chickens are simply a joy to keep, and so much entertainment from a distant relative of a carnivorous dinosaur! Jurassic Park got it so wrong.
You make me want chickens. I enjoyed the post, Cheers, Wendy
I’d love to have a couple of chooks, my sis in NZ keeps a lot of different breeds. It was fun reading through all your chook posts Gavin.
They are such lovely looking chooks as well as being good weeders.
Whenever I see posts with someone’s chickens, it makes me want some. If for nothing else but the omelettes. Maybe, if I can keep all my plants alive for a year, I can consider chickens.
Your girls are lovely Gavin. We’ve had chooks for four years and can’t imagine being without them now. All that wonderful manure for the garden, delicious eggs for omelettes and frittatas and endless entertainment.
I often see my husband pause as he is working in the garden to have a chat with a little bantam hen who is keeping him company and the chores involving their care are the ones I enjoy the most.
We’ve ended up with five bantams and only one full size Buff Sussex chook so I too am thinking of getting some eggs for a couple of them to sit on next Spring.
Arn’t chickens great!! I am so glad to be picking up a few girls on the weekend -x battery hens, so pretty beaten up girls, but I can’t wait to see them clucking about the yard looking as happy as yours!
xB
Hi everyone, thanks for the comments.
Yes, chooks are great. Kim resisted for quite a while but loves them all to bits now, especially the bantams! I don’t know how my garden would grow without the girls now. They are an essential part of my eco system!
Gav
P.S. I love the little girls as well!