Girls ... of all shapes and sizes.
Well --- for a gal that 9 years ago just wanted a dozen or so laying hens................. things have changed!
My "Honey-I-only-want-a-little-coop-with-6-to-10-hens" whine has grown. And grown and grown.
So here are the girls ........ and more girls ........ and more girls. Yea...... I am a sucker for a pretty feather.
One week old chicks ...........
I think I got a nice mix this time. Ten of my favorite Buff Orpingtons. Five each of Silver-Laced Wyandottes, Black Jersey Giants and Light Brahmas. They are doing well. They currently reside in a mineral tub but will soon graduate to larger tub in the brooder house/ chicken coop. They will live there.
Then there are the teenage girls. Twelve week old pullets.
I have been told that I am crazy. I know there are papers out there stating such. But not even I would start chicks in Iowa in January with my unheated coops.
Fortunately for a lot of chicken-crazy people ..... there is a man with a thicker stack of papers than I have!!
Jim Johansen. A year ago ... he didn't have a hen on the farm. Now he has 500! No wishy-washy I-only-want-eggs-for-us ideas! Jim's motto has got to be Go big or go get more hens!
He called one day and asked if I needed any chicks. I said yes, but not in January!! Well, lucky for me I have known Jim since high school (5 years ... maybe 10 years ago!!) so he raised the girls for me for 3 months!
Nothing fancy ... just twenty five good old Rhode Island Reds and black Sex-linked hens. Good winter producers. These are really nice girls.... this one wants to follow me around the farm.
There is Josephine....... my little 2 pound Blue Silkie. A totally worthless producer. She lays 40 eggs a year. The eggs are tiny. She is always broody. But she is a little doll and I adore her!
There is Liz Taylor..... a silver-laced crested Polish hen. Again ... a worthless producer that I love!
I couldn't get a picture of Zsa Zsa Gabor. She is a golden laced crested Polish that was busy eating all the Nigella (love-in-a-mist) seed that I had just planted!
And she lived to tell about it!
Yep .... our girls come in all shapes and sizes and colors.
Its the United Nations of chicken coops.
It just works better than that group in New York!!!
Comments
The fab 4 are growing quickly and the others arrive in 3 weeks. Eeek! Gotta get that coop built!
Judy
Judy
If you follow the recommendations, 4 sq feet of floor space per bird -- they will be just fine.
I actually have a window cracked open most of the winter for some ventilation.
Chickens are amazingly hardy animals. That being said ... heavy breeds do best in Iowa. And we are out on a hill and have horrible winds. In 9 years .. I have NEVER lost a hen to cold... though I have had some with slightly frost bit combs.