Towards the end of last year we had decided to get rid of the chickens. This past summer was so hard on them. We had misting areas set up. We had fans they could get under. I gave them frozen treats during the hottest part of the day. They had almost completely stopped laying and it wasn’t til about two weeks ago that they picked up and started laying a lot again. There are probably 20 hens out there and before last summer, I’d get 12 – 15 eggs per day. Since about August, I’ve been lucky to get 2 or 3 eggs per day. I was having to buy eggs!
Besides spending $40 a week on chicken feed, we can’t leave town without imposing on someone else to put the chickens up at night, check their food and water so we made the decision to get rid of them and a friend who has chickens said she would gladly take them.
Then, when it got time to do it, I couldn’t. I would really be sad to see them go and they’re so funny. So, we talked about it and decided to keep them. If we end up buying a second home in MO or renting a place there, we’ll probably have to get rid of them then but for now, they’re still ours.
They’ve gone through their molting stage, which will slow or stop their laying, but this was a very extended non-laying time so I’m not blaming it on molting.
I had gone out to get a picture of the Litchi Tomato, which isn’t a tomato at all, but it looks like it’s going to survive the winter. They may be perennials for all I know but I’ve been surprised to see it still alive. We’ve had some nights in the low teens, maybe even single digits, I can’t remember. Any time Vince or I walk up towards the fence, the chickens come running, thinking we’re bringing them something and, we usually are. But not today.
Their feathers are full, the chickens are fat and happy . . I’m getting over a dozen eggs again. See the black and white chicken with the red around her head? Some of the first chickens we had were red sex links and we got only hens and then when we started letting them run loose, we put one of Wilbur’s brothers, a Dominique rooster, with them to help keep them safe and she’s one of the Dominique/Red Sex Link offspring. She’s probably the oldest chicken we have besides Wilbur. She isn’t particularly friendly but she doesn’t cause any trouble. Old Wilbur is such a nice rooster. I’m going to be sad when he’s gone. I read that roosters live 6 to 8 years “but there are exceptions”. I hope Wilbur is the exception because he’s been around for a while and he’s such a friendly, but protective rooster.
In every picture I took this afternoon, that red headed hen had her left foot curled. I hadn’t noticed her having a foot problem and I keep a pretty good watch on them. I asked Vince if he had noticed, but he probably wouldn’t notice if I had one foot backwards so I went out and checked.
She’s fine. No foot problems. She was probably just resting her leg.
I’m hoping this summer isn’t as bad as last summer. Not sure my chickens can survive another summer like that one. Not sure I can survive another summer like that one! 🙂
Nelle Coursey says
I am hoping it will be better too! It was WAY too hot last summer!! Looks like we are not going to have any winter so that means the mosquitos will be as big as woodpeckers this spring and summer!!
patti says
i just saw a news article about a device you use with alexa, your tablet, or phone called “slick chick” developed by a guy in west virginia for his wife. it opens and closes the door to the henhouse remotely… maybe you should check into it????? it’s an embedded video in a facebook newsfeed, but you can probably do a search to see it, it was our nbc affiliate local news station.
Susan says
I didn’t realize you still had so many! They are all beautiful, fat and sassy chickens. I can understand why you’d keep them, but those are pretty expensive eggs. =)