Chickens Together

We purchased 16 pullets a couple of months ago. We kept them separate from the old chickens so that the new chickens could eat "grower formula" and the older chickens could eat "layer formula."

 But last night, we put them together.  The new hens should start laying eggs soon so we decided they could start eating the same food.

  Moving them was quite an adventure.  Naomi and Lydia and Kevin handled it with aplomb.  Our children definitely have some SKILLS.  Of course, Kevin does too, but that doesn't surprise me.  He has lots of experience in many areas.  But our big kids?  Wow!  They catch and move chickens like a well oiled machine, like cogs in a wheel, like the dance of the stars on the spiral arms of the Milky Way Galaxy.

  Ok, my metaphors are lousy. I'm really tired.  See previous post.

  We chose to move them at night as all the chickens were (hypothetically) calmer than during the day.  I didn't get a picture, but Naomi nobly climbing INTO this coop and started catching chickens, which she handed to Kevin.


 

 

Kevin held them upside down until they calmed down, then Lydia took them and put them on a roost in the chicken coop.

 

 

Naomi put the last lady on the roost herself.  They fill up the roosts pretty well now.

 

Today was interesting.  Chickens naturally develop a pecking order and throwing the 2 flocks together caused much upheaval.  There was clucking and fussing, but it went fine.

 

We're hoping for many eggs soon.  Right now, we are getting 4 to 6 eggs a day which means (gasp) we have to buy eggs from the store too.  It'll be great when we start getting 20 a day!