This spring, we finally bit the bullet and got chickens for the coop. Scott had been pushing for them for a while, but I was dragging my feet because I had no idea how to take care of a chicken and I wasn’t looking forward to the extra work.
But it’s been the best decision. We started out with four hens, named after the Golden Girls: Rose, Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia. But Porter decided he wanted his chicken (Blanche) to be named Lucci in honor of his buddy Lucca. So we were short a Blanche. After a few days, we discovered that Sophia was a bully and was literally pecking a hole in one of the chickens. This is not common but, apparently, it can happen. So we took Sophia (the First!) back to the ranch. Don’t worry, they did not kill her for meat. I watched the guy put her right back in with the other hens. Then I picked out two more because you’re not supposed to introduce just one hen into a group or they will gang up on her.
So I picked two hens that had really pretty brown and white marbling. One became Sophia (the Second!) to replace the returned chicken. The other filled our need for a new Blanche, so it all worked out. No more pecking. Our five chickies get along really well and all have different personalities and markings so we can tell them apart.
We got 5- to 6-month old chickens instead of baby chicks so that they were ready to start laying almost immediately. The chickens are called “Production Reds” because they are a cross between a Rhode Island Red and some other white chicken — both known for lots of eggs. So one of the very first days we had the chickens, we got our first egg! The kids were very excited.
We had a few really interesting eggs while the young hens (known as pullets) bodies’ were still figuring out how to lay an egg. First, we got a couple of “rubber eggs,” which is the egg without the shells. It still has the thin membrane that usually lines the shells, so the egg stays together, but it kind of feels like a water balloon. We have also gotten many double-yolked eggs, which is also common with pullets.
One day, we got a massive rubber egg that turned out to be a version of a double egg…but not two yolks. The first picture shows the giant rubber egg next to two standard medium- to large-eggs.
We tore open the outer membrane and the “white” of the egg came out into the bowl, revealing another rubber egg inside!
We broke that one and there was a complete yolk/white inside. Not appetizing though. Threw that one away.
Now that we’ve had the chickens for a couple months, they are each consistently laying an egg every day. Count: 5 eggs per day = 35 per week! Between my serious egg habit, baking, Easter and guests in town, we’ve had no problem going through them. The eggs range in color from pale to medium brown, sometimes with a few speckles.
We all have been pretty excited about the chickens. They are fun to watch. They have the cutest fluffy butts, and it’s exciting and oddly satisfying to go into the nest area every day and check for eggs.
Yose may be the most excited of all. When we first brought the chickens home, she stood outside the coop, frozen (lab-pointer mix), but trembling with excitement (that’s Yose pointing, below). You could see her trembling from all the way across the yard. I had to train her to tear herself away from the chickens with lots and lots of treats. If we let the chickens out to roam around the yard while Yose was safely put away in the house, she would scream. Some of you have heard this sound. The neighbors might think we were torturing her.
Eventually, we introduced them, and kept on top of Yose not to chase or bite them. Luckily, she’s a sweet, smart and obedient dog. So now we can even leave her alone in the yard with the chickens and she won’t do anything more than follow them around and stare at them. It’s given her a new purpose in life and I’m pretty sure she’s lost weight because of it.
When it’s time for the ladies to go back in their coop, I go into the yard and call “Here, chicky chicky!” and they run across the yard, following me back to the coop. It’s quite a sight. I need to take a video.
I could go on and on about the chickens but I’ll stop here…for now. 🙂
