Hen Productivity

We have had hens since the first Fall we were here in 2003. We started with four.

They roost every night in this side of the barn, and this is where they lay their eggs - most of the time. They do have a very nicely decorated home don't they?



For all I know, one of our current eight hens is still from the original four, but we have lost one hen here and there to heat, cold, and a hawk strike one January. 

Every couple of Septembers, we made the trip to Myersdale to get a few more hens to replace and expand the flock.

Carlene and Truffles at two days old in 2005

We also raised a couple day old chicks, and we still have Truffles who must be seven years old now. Pullets start laying at 20 weeks old. Hens best production is during their first two years and then they taper off. Hence the reason to replace them as they age.

What is impressive is that just a few days ago, during all this awful heat, all eight hens gave us an egg. And they are huge.

Not large.

Not Jumbo.

HUGE!

I'm betting it has a lot to do with being free range, pastured hens with about the best life ever.

Hens, Eggs, Light And Spring

Rhoda, a Rhode Island Red, who is NOT on a diet.

People who have had layers (that's LAY-ers) always ask the big question in the winter. "Are you getting any eggs?". The first year of a hens life she usually lays all through the first winter, although not necessarily every day. The eggs might be smaller, "pullet" eggs depending on her maturity, but eggs nonetheless. The older hens, which define six of my eight, may slow down as the days get shorter, and after Thanksgiving or so, sputter to almost nil.  This winter we only had two or three days with no eggs at all. My new, adopted Rhode Island Reds, Rhoda and Red, kept us in their nice eggs through out, with an occasional supplement from the older girls.

You may wonder what use there is to keeping these old hens if they don't produce all year, but here at On the Pond Farm, they are also maintenance workers, and do preventative health care. Every day, after their morning feed, they work their way behind me to each stall as I clean them. They scratch for grubs, bugs, parasitic worms in the stool, and left over grain and seeds. By doing this clean up, they make it difficult for rodents to thrive, and parasites to spread.

In the video you see the girls waiting their turn to lay.  Until recently, they all waited to lay in the same box. I think because production is up, they have now split the eggs into two nests.  We used to have more boxes, but they always seemed to put all their eggs in one basket (Ha!). Fine with me, although come summer, I bet they will start hiding them around the barn again.  Always fun to have egg hunts for visiting kids!

After the video at the evening egg gathering, we we amazed to find this.

Yes! EIGHT eggs. 

All girls appreciated the great summer weather of the past two weeks and were in full production.

Its officially Spring!

Two Chicken Stories

In the fall I get my laying hens from a farm that raises 13,000 chicks for 20 weeks or so, to pullet stage. My four or dozen hens each year, as you may realize, are a drop in the bucket to them, but they treat me like I am their best customer. Usually I take a nice ride to Myersdale in October, get to see the fall leaves still changing a bit south of us, and get my few new hens.
I made my call a few days ago to arrange a time to stop and - what? They were sold OUT!

You have to understand that just last year, there were thousands still unsold, and it took till before Christmas to unload them all. They even muttered about giving up the business for a minute. Today they have nine roosters left. Good luck with them giving eggs!

So what changed? Its all about the salmonella scare. Farms can't keep up with their egg sales and are increasing their flocks. Oh My Goodness! People are willing to pay more for safe eggs. Hurray!I told the woman I talked to that I was happy for them, and I think at first she thought I was kidding, but as we talked, she realized I meant it. We talked about slow sales the last couple of years, and that this year they are trying to get hens from another flock to fill their orders, but can only get a few hundred more. She took my name, even for a few measly hens, and said if they get some hens from Virginia in November to fill their wait list, and a few aren't taken, I might get them. No promises.

Well, my girls are still laying, but I expect them to slow down fast. My refrigerator is not as stocked anymore, but that's okay. We will appreciate what we get till spring arrives and the eggs pick up again.

And then this story in the New York Times today:
New Way to Help Chickens Cross to Other Side By WILLIAM NEUMAN

“People don’t want to know too much,” said Marc Cooper, a senior scientific manager in the farm animals department of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, in London. “It’s hard to sell humane killing as a concept.”

I think that's the story in a nutshell. Read it and see what you think.

Socializing Hens

Yesterday was a nice, leaf peeping trip to Meyersdale, PA to pick up four new pullets. Just arrived and confused.

Before you Google map it - yes- its a long way to go for four hens, but these are locally raised and ready to lay. Twenty weeks old on October 7th. When I first wanted pullets six years ago, I went to David Suder and was happy with what I got, so I keep going back. Otherwise its mail order or a huge search. Plus, I finally know how to find his farm, and its a nice drive.

Getting ready to roost their first night in the barn.

For those that want to know, if you hatch an egg and get a hen, twenty weeks is how long you have to wait for your first egg. That's a long time. We raised the Araucanas from day olds and that was experience enough for me. David Suder raised 12,000 chicks to 20 weeks this year, so that he sells me a mere four is great.
As you have seen, our hens are free range, happy girls. But that does not happen overnight, so the new hens will spend a little time moving in and out of the barn in the dog crate. These hens seem pretty calm, which is a good start.
Also, to avoid any ugliness in the joining of the two groups, they are being socialized for a while. As with all animals, hens have a pecking order, and in their case, they peck each other to figure it out. One sign of blood or weakness, and we can have a dead or injured chicken.
So instead of the usual feeding in the trough, I am putting the food along the edge of the crate This way, both groups are eating together, but with a barrier between them. So far the only bickering has been amongst the older hens. Also, I want the new hens to get wise to the barn cats, especially Snickers. She has actually gone after a couple of the hens lately. We want her to hunt, but there's plenty other stuff out there.

So lets see when we get a first egg from this crew. They were outside all day eating grass and feed in the sun. That's about as good as it gets for them.

VIDEO OF THE PULLETS TALKING THEMSELVES TO SLEEP AND THE OTHER HENS COMMENTING