Tomorrow we are going to get 6 new six week old chicks. They are Barred Rock breed, and will lay brown eggs. We should be getting only females, but we’ll see about that. We thought that last time, but we ended up getting all males (maybe one female, but time will tell). They are really pretty black and white striped, hence the “barred” in the name. They are supposed to really friendly, so we’ll see. We’ll keep a couple for eggs, and the rest will be butchered for meat. I wonder what my current chickens will think about them? lol They will look like this when they grown up:
Barred Rock Hen
Today it was dry and warm outside, with clear blue skies. The chickens decided that it was prime weather for a nice dust bath. They don’t spread out to take their baths, they always huddle together, most of the time half on top of each other, and writhe around in the dirt, creating quite the stir. One of them always stays out of the fun to keep watch. Today it was the little black chicken that was voted as guard chicken.
I wasn’t able to grab my camera in time, so here are some pictures from their last bath. Their bathing spot of choice lately has been at the base of one of the trees at the side of the house, but in these pictures they were bathing in the the front yard.
Group bathing
Feels so good!
Quick cuddle
Kicking up dirt and grass
The first chick to start crowing (orange one)
My favorite chicken "Mama"
Yesterday, my husband cut a door in the side of their brooder so we can use it as a temporary coop since they only sleep in it at night because they free range during the day. They don’t go in it otherwise. It took a bit for them to figure it out. I had to take them out of it the first morning, and put them in that night, but they are smart chickens and caught on right away after that. Now they get themselves out in the morning when I roll their brooder onto the front porch, and put themselves to bed at around 8-8:30pm. That is MUCH easier than having to wrangle them all, catch them, and put them each into the brooder by hand. They do all the work now!
The ramp (the brooder sits on my husband's two wheeler so I can move it easily)
Ready for bed!
Goodnight Foghorn!
One last picture before I go to bed. I love my chickens!
Say what? Chicken butt!
