HEN HAPPENINGS: Secret Roosters and Happy Hens

I'm learning a lot about the world of chickens. For instance, sexing chicks (by the way..not a good choice for google keywords, but this IS the term farmers use in the industry) is not an exact science. Feed stores have two categories to choose from: pullets and straight run. Pullets are guaranteed 90% hens. Straight run is 50/50 and you could do better playing the Lottery. Sadly, I bought 6 pullets and 2 turned out to be roosters! So today we said good-bye to....
BELLA our Buff Orpington. She's going back to the store.

BELLA..or should we say BILL?

The secret to taming roosters...feed them wheat bread while you sit with them! It's an irresistible treat.

Personality: Though sold as a hen, Bella never acted like one. The charming, docile, even loveable personality that Buff Orpington hens are famous for never materialized. Instead, she was distrusting of people, wary, keen on hunting for food, and a loner. And now I know why...she (he) was always a rooster. You see, you can't really tell hens and roosters apart until the age of 4 months. Then dramatic changes occur in the roosters while the hens stay docile and even enjoy being picked up and petted.

Bella starting crowing this week, got her (his) feathers ruffled a lot, and got pretty bold about taking first place in the pecking order. I wish I could keep roosters, but our neighborhood and my wife don't appreciate Mother Nature's Alarm Clock.

Roosters are beautiful, but not too practical for city folks.

(image source: wikipedia)

So, who's left? Time for some fun hen humor.

THE 4 HENS

Today I put some mysterious items in their hen house. As you can see, they studied these carefully and are now deep in thought as to what they could possibly mean. Come on girls, you can figure this out. :-)

By next month we should get our first eggs from Hoot (brown), Zeebee & Phoebe (zebra stripes), and Gwen  (black).

I'll post the first egg sometime in the future.

HAPPY HENS EXTRA:  MY 5 MOST POPULAR CHICKEN TREATS to feed to your hens:

1. wheat breat

2. watermelon rinds

3. corn on the cob leftover cobs

4. pulled up St. Augustine grass (they eat the entire leaf & stems!)

5. popcorn

Thanks for stopping by.

David/ :-)

FIRST WEEK WITH CHICKS HERE AT THE GARDEN: HEN HAPPENINGS #1

I've been hoping to find a local source for chicks and I found one. Quality Feed and Seed on North Main in Houston Texas http://www.qualityfeedco.com/ has an excellent variety of straight run (both sexes mixed) and pullets (hens). Since I just want eggs and since these are going to be garden pets, I bought just pullets.
If you are going to raise chickens, get a book on the topic and read it cover to cover to see what you're getting in to.  Don't buy cute chicks on a whim. HERE ARE THE BASICS:
Chicks need warmth (80 to 90 degree temps in one part of the container), room enough to get away from the heat, constant water, chick starter crumbs, proper flooring and bedding material, and lots of care the first week.
All has gone well except for one scare; the water container went dry and nothing flowed out of the bottle for half a day. So I've put a tiny container with pebbles and water in the corner as a backup in case this happens while I'm at work.  Our cat also got into the room once, but I've got a metal grate on the top. Plus, he's very old and well fed.
Easter chicks are famous for NOT being cared for. Mine have been in the planning stages for 5 months now so yes, they're going to be fun  Easter chicks for the kids, but they're mostly here for many years to come as garden chickens. I must admit, they ARE very cute! Happy Easter everybody!

Our first night. That's some winter rye grass from the garden I'm using for bedding.

You can also use layers of newspaper, paper towels, and pine shavings. DO NOT use cedar shavings because the aromatic fumes are hard on their lungs. Also, they will peck at anything, so these grasses were not chopped up but about a foot long. I watched carefully to see if any choking was going on. So far, so good.

It was almost 90 degrees F outside and warm enough to take the babies on their first field trip.

I still had to hold them and warm them up after a bit. We stayed out for about 10 minutes, then got back inside under the warm lights.

Handtaming starts immediately. I sit in the pen with the flock and gently hold each one until it feels secure. Usually they fall asleep in my hand. It's the best part of raising pet chickens.

My wife said I accidentally brought home a PENGUIN! It's really a black Australorp (Australian breed) and it is the spunkiest of the bunch. A beetle accidentally got into the pen and BAM...it was gone.

We've name her Gwen (short or Penguin) She's extremely soft.

This one looks almost like a baby owl. It has barred wings and brown and tan coloration.

It's a week old and the leader of the tribe. We've nicknamed it Hoot! He's a rascal, but very sweet.

I'll post some more HEN HAPPENINGS in about a week.

Thanks for stopping by.

David/ :-)

THOUGHTS ON GETTING A FEW CHICKENS FOR MY GARDEN

I told some of my teacher friends at work today that my new idea is to get a few chickens for my garden. They laughed and waited for me to say the words, "Of course I'm joking". But I'm really serious. I've thought about getting a few chickens for years. There is no city law against them and they would be pets kept in a nice, roomy area with a chicken fence. I would tame them since many breeds actually like to be picked up and cared for. I'm thinking about breeds that would take the SUMMER HEAT, are great egg layers (I would not EAT a pet you know), and have a nice temperament. If you know of any garden bloggers that have chickens, tell them I'd love some input. Here are a few I'm thinking about.  I'm getting hens since roosters crow loudly and I don't won't to wake the neighbors.  (Images from Wikipedia and Oklahoma State University)

Australorp: a black chicken prized for laying many brown eggs. Described as 'delightful, a great pet chicken, calm, and friendly". Also called " peaceful and dignified" and "docile, sweet, and shy".  Has soft, shiny black feathers with a greenish or purplish hue in sunlight.

Barred Plymouth Rock: looks like a zebra with black and white stripes. Described as 'sweet, very friendly, great layer, and easy to manage. Gets along with people and other chickens".

Welsummer: looks like the chicken on Kellogg's Corn Flakes, brown and black. Described as "active, friendly, intelligent, and easily handled".

(New Hampshire Red is very similar to Production Red)

Production Red: a hybrid cross between the Rhode Island Red and the New Hampshire Red. It has a bit lighter shade than the darker Rhode Island Red. It's an efficient egg producer and can take climate extremes of both hot and cold. The hens are described as for the most part calm and docile.

(Image of Ameraucanas...Easter Eggers vary in color and are not a standard breed)

Easter Eggers (often sold as Ameraucanas): Not considered by some to be a breed, but carries the blue/green gene that produces these beautiful eggs. Described as having a 'fun' personality and usually quite friendly to children and humans. The pullets(hens) are smaller than most and weigh 4 lbs. compared to other hens that can weigh 6 to 8 pounds. Considered to be especially docile. Said to like treats and will often follow you around while you do garden chores.  I really want one of the Easter Eggers.

Buff Orpington: Described as have a calm disposition and easy to handle. A heavy breed weighing up to 8 pounds. Can lay large, brown eggs year round and is said to be easy to handle. Also said to be 'large, gentle, and friendly'. They have a lot of plummage, so I'm not certain if they will do well during hot, Texas summers.
PART 2: THE BABY CHICKS ARRIVE!
http://tropicaltexana.blogspot.com/2011/04/first-week-with-chicks-here-at-garden.html
PART 3: OUR CHICKEN TEENAGERS: THEY FEATHER OUT AND GROW UP  http://tropicaltexana.blogspot.com/2011/06/our-chicken-teen-agers-are-fun.html

FOR MY CHINESE FRIENDS:
雞生長

雞的種類

 熱帶花園雞

Any other breeds I should consider? Texas gets hot in the summer and so that's my top concern.
David :0)