Drama in the Henhouse

Ok, so the chicken experts tell you to provide one 12" x 12" nest box per four hens, and to place a plastic fake egg or golf ball in said nest so they will say, "hmmm, this looks like a good place to lay an egg...why there is one already here!". Why my visually acute chickens who can see a treat dish and come running from 25 yards away, or can distinguish a tossed lima bean from a lima bean shell would think a golf ball is an egg is beyond me...but it worked.

So according to the experts, with five hens we needed one and a fifth nest boxes. Instead we gave them a three foot long addition, to provide ample room should more than one hen need to lay at the same time. This worked great a couple of weeks as the first few began to lay. As all the chickens began to lay, we noticed at times a line forming waiting for the nest. They looked like human chicks waiting for the only stall in the ladies room. This was further complicated by pecking order. If a dominate hen was in the nest, she would growl at her underlings until they backed off to the coop door. If a bottom pecking order girl was on the nest, a more dominate hen would get within several inches of her and stare her down while she quickly did her business. I saw one gal stand up during this intimidation and turn around so only her fluffy butt was facing the intimidator. I've seen Izzie who is #2, but is #1 Phoebes best friend, climb on top of her bud and practically lay an egg on top of her.

Seems they all wanted to lay on the side with the golf ball. The girls that had to wait sometimes an hour or more were looking red in the face and very uncomfortable. Too much drama in the coop. Being smarter than chickens we decided to put two more golf balls in the nest-one on the left, one in the middle, and one on the right. By the end of the first morning they had all been rolled to the right side and Sadie sat on them most of the morning assuming she had a nice clutch to hatch! By the afternoon she abandoned the nest and the carpenters came by and installed a partition. One golf ball on each side and for the next few days, two or three eggs laid on each side.

Peace in the nest box. Violet has her own space on the left. Phoebe allows Izzie to share her space.

All goes well, although at times there is still a line for the facilities...

Ellie patiently waits her turn.

Two on deck...one in the hole.

New Babies

This cartoon was in the paper the morning after the babies hatched.

We have 13 new additions here. I ordered hatching eggs from breeders of quality chickens of several different breeds that I want to raise. I selected these breeds for appearance, temperament, and egg color. Although I didn't have a high hatch rate on these (common with shipped eggs), I am thrilled with the hatch overall. Besides the three Buff Orpingtons that are the offspring of our newly laying flock and the infamous Rudy, these are the 3 other breeds I'm working with:

Welsummers are the brown chipmunky looking chicks. They are a dutch breed, good foragers, and are beautiful adults. The rooster has the tradition greens and golds that one thinks of for roosters, and the rooster on the original Kellogg's Corn Flakes box was a Welsummer named "Cornelius". They lay a huge, very dark terracotta egg.

I wanted Ameracaunas for their blue eggs. These birds are originally from South America and are noted for their "beards and earmuffs". The nearly white chicks with the round heads are Wheaton/Blue Wheaton Ameracaunas. The adult hens have a light beige color and the roos have gorgeouse plumage. Both have slate blue legs. Looks like I have 4 Blue Wheatons and 1 Wheaton.
I love their personalities already. They tilt their little round heads up and watch us when the others in the brooder are more interested in food and water.

Lastly, the little gray/black chick was the only Blue Copper Maran chick to hatch of six eggs. The Marans, of which there are several different colors, are highly prized for their dark, almost chocolate colored, flavorful eggs. Top chefs seek Marans eggs. They are not prolific layers, but the birds and their eggs are stunning. I never thought I'd follow this fad, but got a great deal on a 6 each egg combo with the Ameracaunas. When a Marans is crossed with an Ameracauna, the resulting offspring lay a dark olive egg.

I may order more eggs after the next batch of quail is out of the bator. It looks like all four Welsummers are girls, and I might as well try to hatch a few more Marans.


Sleeping babies. Too cute... Helmets off!

The Egg Song

The Chickens continue to amaze and delight me every day. As they began to lay, I noticed that they would sing a little song after laying an egg. I did a little research and discovered this is known as the "Egg Song". If I had to describe it it would be "bawk, bawk, bawk, bawk, BAAAAAWK", repeated over and over for 10 or 15 minutes. Adam caught this event with his camera, which I uploaded to UTube and can be seen Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2ak9laPQCM

This begins with the unseen hen in the nest box, but Rudy joins in and two hens in the run jubilantly proclaim to the world that an egg has been laid! This cracks me up as they prefer a quiet, secluded place to lay, (I assume to keep it safe from predators,) yet when the deed is done, they announce it to the world. Two things to listen for - Rudy's noise at the very end, and a sound like a baby crying in the background. I've come to find out that Rudy can make that noise and sing at the same time. How cool is that!

Rudy and the Hawk

I just read that chickens have more than 35 different vocalizations (exceeding dogs and cats combined) and heard a new one just the other day. Rudy let out a sound much like a human scream and all the hens dove for cover. Me being the mere human that I am, had not noticed the hawk that must have started to swoop down behind my back but once alerted by my vigilant rooster, I spied it flying up over the roof of the house. It's intended victim may have been Phoebe as she stayed crouched and trembling under a bush for nearly a half hour, even though her sisters instantly rushed over to surround and comfort her. They were all a bit freaked out and clingy the rest of the evening. I sat on the porch swing with them until dusk. At one point I had a chicken sitting on each leg and one perched on my shoulder, and the rest huddled under the swing.

We have seen hawks from a distance before, and Rudy always warns us with a throaty growl. The sound he made with this possible attacker transmitted "immediate danger-hit the deck" and probably scared the bird away.

Although they are locked in the coop at night to keep them safe from nocturnal predators as they can't see in the dark, I know that there is a little risk in letting them out at all, even if I am outside with them. They are just so eager to get out in the yard and explore and scratch for bugs that I will continue to let them free range in the mornings and evenings. Part of the joy in raising chickens is to see them being as chickens were intended to live-which is not being confined to battery cages as egg producers.

I also have more faith than ever in their instincts to keep themselves safe and Rudy's abilities as flock protector.

Rudibeckia Cherokee Sunset

Every year I experiment with growing a few new perennials from seed. This rudibeckia was one of this years. Of five plants I set out, each is sporting different sunset colors-rust, mahagony, golds and yellows, in both double and semi-double petal formations. The coloration is much more interesting than the normal yellow rudibeckia. These have been blooming about six weeks now. They don't seem to like a lot of water and humidity, so are looking a bit tired under current weather conditions. I'll cut them back soon and hope for another flush of flowers as fall comes. They really are autumnal colors and should bloom until first frost.