2014 Flock

Learning

On Christmas Day 2013, I ordered my chicks from Meyer Hatchery. I had heard good things about them and found their selection to be excellent. Their catalog was very informative and taught me a lot. I requested 12 chicks. Eight is the legal limit in Howard County for properties of my size, but I planned to give four to my sister-in-law before they moved into the coop.

Santa Claus and my relatives bought me a lot of chicken-related gifts. My in-laws have more experience with poultry than me so I was open to any advice they could give or products they could recommend.

Over the next several weeks, I spent numerous hours reading several books about chickens. I also did a lot of on-line searching. I documented my notes in my chicken web page.

Without a doubt, most of the preparation work was spent on the coop. That was my big winter project. I estimate I spent about 200 hours on the coop and the run. That includes leveling the ground, creating a foundation, and numerous trips to the hardware store. That does not include the time spent reading books and searching on-line to figure out how I should do things. If I was going to charge someone to do what I did, I would charge them for six weeks of labor.

Coop-to-Coop Tour

I got a call from Audrey of the Howard County Conservancy. She told me about a Coop-to-Coop Tour that she was organizing. She got my name from Cathy H. who I had met the previous year. Audrey asked if I would be interested in participating in this event that would be a sort of "open house" for folks with chicken coops. It would help potential chicken owners get started and would give them and veteran chicken owners new ideas. I explained to her that I did not yet have a finished coop or chickens but that the coop would be done by the day of the event, April 12, 2014.

Final arrangements

On April 7, 2014, I went to the post office in my town. I spoke to Jennifer and let her know about the box of baby chicks I was expecting to be delivered between April 10 and 12. I left her my phone number at work and my cell phone number.

I also stopped by at Farm and Home Service, the Southern States store in Ellicott City. I bought pine shavings, grit, a heat lamp, bulb, and a 25 pound bag of Southern States All Grain Start-N-Grow. I also spoke to the folks that work there to make sure I didn't forget anything.

On April 8, 2014, I set up the brooder. I decided to put it in the downstairs shower.

This is a very small space. How small? If I want to shake the water out of my hair, I have to step out of the shower. The actual dimensions are 26.5" x 31.5". I added cardboard at the 90 degree corners to make the sharpest angle 45 degrees. I read that the ideal brooder should not have square corners since chicks will sometimes clutter in a single corner and smother the unfortunate chicks closest to the corner. This made the total available floor area 5.55 square feet. Chicks up to 4 weeks old should have 1/2 square foot per bird which means six square feet. I considered other spaces for the brooder, but our house is pretty small, and the only suitable place indoors that could be protected from our cat, Asha, was in the shower. I considered the garage but nighttime temperatures at that time could drop under 40 degrees. So the plan was to keep them in the shower until they were 2-3 weeks old, them move them into a larger brooder in the garage after things have warmed up a bit.

I cleaned the shower with Soft Scrub, which has bleach. Then I let it dry thoroughly.

Heat

On April 9, 2014, I ran tests using a digital thermometer and my two sources of heat: a 250 watt infrared heat lamp and an EcoGlow 20 Chick Brooder made by Brinsea. Newborn chicks need temperatures of 95-100 degrees. I wanted to make absolutely certain that my heat sources could do the job. The heat lamp was indeed sufficient but at 250 watts, it is quite the energy hog. In comparison, the EcoGlow 20 uses only 18 watts by emitting only the heat necessary under a table-like structure that can be adjusted for height. It is a fabulous idea...but one that fell short on performance. I tested the EcoGlow 20 by putting it on a sheet of Reflectix radiant barrier in the basement. Reflectix radiant barrier is what I use to insulate some of the walls of my house. Put simply, it reflects heat. Also, it is very fire resistant. I then took a cloth glove and positioned it under the EcoGlow20 heat source and then placed the temperature probe on the glove so it was midway between the heat source and the radiant barrier. The temperature outside of the area heated by the EcoGlow20 was 56 degrees and the probe measured 72 degrees under the EcoGlow 20 after a few hours. 72 degrees is a far cry from 95 degrees so I decided that the EcoGlow 20 was not sufficient.

I put a sheet of Reflectix radiant barrier on the shower floor.

I figured it would help reflect heat upwards. Then I poured out a 1.5-inch layer of pine shavings on top of that.

Above that were about three sheets of newspaper which were taped to the edges with painters tape. The newspaper is only for the first day to help ensure the chicks don't eat the pine shavings.

I set out the EcoGlow20 and turned on the heat lamp. I figured having both on might give the chicks a choice. But I don't think the EcoGlow20 was made to have a heat lamp shining down on top of it. I noticed a chemical smell. Perhaps it was slowly melting the plastic. Needless to say, I removed the EcoGlow20.

I suspended the heat lamp from the shower pipes so that it was about 18 inches from the newspaper. I used parachute cord to hang it. It took several iterations to get the height correct. I kept the temperature probe slightly off to one side and also used my Black and Decker Thermal Leak Detector TLD100 to measure the temperature at various parts of the brooder. Directly under the heat lamp, it was about 120 degrees while at the opposite end of the brooder, it was more like 70. I've read that chicks will adjust themselves accordingly, positioning themselves where they are comfortable. If most are as far from the heat lamp as possible, then it is too hot. If most are directly under the heat lamp, then they are too cold.

I was a little paranoid about using a heat lamp. I had read all kind of bad things about how they are such a fire hazard. So I put our fire extinguisher just outside the bathroom door. The lamp hangs from the pipes of the shower which are very secure as is the parachute cord and the knot I used to hold it in place. It leans against the bathroom tile which, of course, is not flammable so I figured everything was fine. Still, I would be glad when I didn't need it anymore.

Ventilation is very important for chickens and I assume that is true for chicks too. Despite trying to keep things warm, I kept the window open about 3/4" to give them fresh air.

Feeder and fount

I put their feeder and fount on a piece of cardboard which made for a rigid foundation.

A co-worker loaned me some round, glass, marble-like things to put in the fount. I've read that chicks will sometimes fall into the fount and drown or at least get really wet and then get chilled. Glass marbles are ideal because they are non-porous (so they don't hold germs so easily), non-toxic, and chicks can stick their beaks between the spheres to drink.

Change of plans

Around midday, I received a call from Cindy of Meyer Hatchery informing me that the Light Brahma and Golden Laced Wyandotte I ordered had not yet hatched. They could send them to me in a later shipment once they hatched but I would have to order another chick since they need to ship at least three at a time. I imagine that is so their body heat can help keep each other warm. The other option was for them to send me replacments. I opted for that. They read off the substitutes ("pinch hitters" as I like to call them). I chose a Golden Buff and a Dominique. They said they would ship out the chicks right away.

Here are the chickens that comprise this flock. Note that the names are chosen to be old-fashioned female names where the first letter of the name matches the first letter of the breed.

Abigail

Date of birth: April 9, 2014

Breed: Black Australorp

Eggs/Year average: 250 [13]

Description: Black Australorps are a popular producer of large brown eggs and are known for their hardiness and persistence in laying - even in hot weather. They can lay up to 250 eggs annually and will lay into winter. When this breed was being developed the breeders focused on utility and still today this is what they are know for. Australorps are known to mature early and are docile and quiet birds, which makes them great for handling and children. When mature, the birds have glossy, all-black feathers that show a gorgeous green sheen. From the time these chicks hatch until they are fully grown, their feathers have white tips. Great dual-purpose choice. Average mature weight of hens: 6 pounds [21].

She came to be known as Miss Broody.

Beatrice

Date of birth: April 9, 2014

Breed: Barred Plymouth Rock

Eggs/Year average: 200 [13]

Description: This old-time favorite lays brown eggs and is a popular dual-purpose breed. This breed is very friendly and does well in cold weather. Plymouth rocks have high egg production, a meaty body, a docile personality, and good hardiness...all characteristics that would be a great addition to your flock! These lovely birds have black and white barred feathers, with the roosters slightly lighter in color than the hens. Average mature weight of hens: 6 pounds [21].

Beatrice looks like Dorothy and is very similar to her in terms of personality.

Blondie(s)

Date of birth: April 9, 2014

Breed: Buff Orpington

Eggs/Year average: 240 [33]

Description: Buff Orpingtons are a popular dual-purpose variety and are sometimes called "Big Bufffs." This is a friendly and affectionate breed which would be good for children. Since they are so calm and quiet they can become bullied by an aggressive breed. Because they are loosely feathered, they appear to be heavier than their true weights. Their golden buff feathers are broad and smooth-fitting on this deep-bodied breed. They have quiet dispositions, make excellent mothers, and are one of the most broody of standard breeds. Their white skin is a cosmetic disadvantage for use as meat birds. Average mature weight of hens: 7 pounds [21].

I ordered four of these to give to my sister-in-law who has a big farm with about 20 chickens. She buys hers as pullets which means she doesn't have a big of selection when it comes to breed (i.e. she can't buy Buff Orpington pullets). I raised them until they were ready to go into the coop and then gave them to her. Hence, I did not give them individual names or include them in my egg count. Collectively, I call them the "Blondies."

Dorothy

Date of birth: April 9, 2014

Breed: Dominique

Eggs/Year average: 220 [33]

Description: These are known as one of the first breeds of chickens established in America. The name could have came from early chickens of the breed that came from Saint-Domingue which is now Haiti. Poultry lovers have been working in recent years to increase numbers of this breed, which had nearly become extinct. They can survive in both hot and cold climates which helped them from becoming extinct. These birds are great foragers, have rose combs, and lay brown eggs. Average mature weight of hens: 5 pounds [21].

This looks a lot like a Barred Plymouth Rock but lays smaller eggs. Since the Golden Laced Wyandotte I ordered did not hatch on time, this breed was a pinch hitter. Dorothy is my dominant (alpha) chicken. She is very confident, outgoing, and easy to handle.

Edith

Date of birth: April 9, 2014

Breed: Easter Egger

Eggs/Year average: 240 [33]

Description: Our most popular kid pick! Commonly known as the Easter Egg Layer, these birds are good layers and produce eggs that range from olive green to turquoise blue which their name comes from. Their small size allows them to do well in warm weather but they also do well in cold weather. Like their eggs, they come in an assortment of colors. They are favored for their eggs, but are large enough to be used for meat. Average mature weight of hens: 4 pounds [21]. This breed has an inherent genetic beak issue. 1 out of 100 chicks as they grow may have some variance in severity of scissor beak/cross beak. This can be best described when the top and bottom beak do not align and this condition normally will get worse as they grow [33].

One fellow in my veterans club has this type of chicken and he says it is his star layer. They may not lay the largest eggs but who can resist a green or blue egg? My own experience is these are the last to start laying and they aren't a great winter layer.

Ethel (nicknamed "Osprey")

Date of birth: April 9, 2014

Breed: Easter Egger

Eggs/Year average: 240 [33]

Description: Same description as for Edith.

Osprey got her nickname because when she was young, she looked more like a wild raptor than a domestic chicken.

Gertrude

Date of birth: April 9, 2014

Breed: Golden Buff

Eggs/Year average: 260 [34]

Description: Also known as Golden Comet, Golden Sex Link, Cinnamon Queen, and Red Star. This hen is a leader in the brown egg market and is by far the most popular bird we sell. Customers favor this bird for its large eggs and quiet temperament. These birds are sex-Linked, which means the sex of the chicks can be determined by their color when they hatch. Mature hens have a soft buff- red color and roosters are white with darker wing, neck and tail feathers. Average mature weight of hens: 4 pounds [21].

Gertrude is my most athletic chicken. If there was a chicken obstacle course, I would enter her to compete.

Gwendolyn

Date of birth: April 9, 2014

Breed: Golden Buff

Eggs/Year average: 260 [34]

Description: Same description as for Gertrude.

She is the runt of the flock.

Rosemary

Date of birth: April 9, 2014

Breed: Rhode Island Red

Eggs/Year average: 250 [13]

Description: A popular dual-purpose breed that is a familiar standby in many chicken coops. Like its name suggests it is developed in Rhode Island and is even the state's official bird. The hens are calm birds and are among the best layers for a heavy breed and they lay large brown eggs. Rhode Island Red hens can lay around 200 eggs annually but rarely brood. Roosters of this breed may become aggressive. Average mature weight of hens: 6 pounds [21].

At 0940 on April 10, 2014, (only about 21 hours after I spoke to the hatchery), I received a call from the post office informing me that my package arrived. I left work quickly and went to pick them up. I felt like an expectant father. It was quite sunny so my car was pretty warm but I also turned on the heat so the chicks would be comfortable. While waiting in line at the post office, I could hear loud peeps coming from the back area. A young woman with a big smile carried out my box of chicks as if she were carrying a jar of nitroglycerin. She said she took good care of them and put them in a warm place. I thanked her. I made it home, making sure to go slowly over the speed bumps.

Upon arriving home, I turned on the heat lamp. I left the box of chicks in the car, which was probably pretty comfortable for them. It only took about 10 minutes before the heat lamp got the brooder to the right temperature. Then I carried the box into the house and carefully opened it. Inside were 12 beautiful chicks, all chirping loudly. There was also a heat pack to help keep them from getting cold. I grabbed the chicks one at a time and made sure each got its beak dipped in the fount so they would know where to find the water. Then I placed them in the brooder. By the time I was done, the first ones had already started drinking from the fount on their own. A few found the feed and were voraciously munching away on that.

Newborn chicks can survive for about three days without food and water since they are living off what was in the yolk. So it is fair to guess that they were hatched on or around April 8 or 9. I'm declaring their actual birthday as April 9, 2014 since I know they were shipped out then. Before then, some might have still been in an egg.

Along with the box of chicks was a package of Gro-Gel Plus.
On the very first day, after arrival, Gro-Gel Plus is used. Gro-Gel Plus is the perfect solution to getting your poultry off to that all important great start. For baby poultry to grow and live efficiently, they must readily start to eat and drink. Gro-Gel Plus provides immediate nutrition and hydration for all baby poultry in a very concentrated and digestible form. Research has shown that it has improved livability and mature body weights substantially, thus saving you bird loss and money in the long run.
- from Murray McMurray Hatchery

I mixed up the Gro-Gel Plus in accordance with the instructions and tried to feed it to the chicks but they had no interest in it. I thought it was tasteless. A few tried it but none took more than a couple of nibbles. I ended up throwing it away since it was only good for six hours. Later, I read on the website that I was supposed to spread it on their food, not give it to them directly. Unfortunately, this wasn't written in the instructions on the package.

After a few hours, they got their fill and were resting. Some looked dead but I could tell they were just sleeping. But none slept for long during the day as others would walk over them and wake them up. I could see a few starting to fall asleep. They would wobble around with a sloth-like look in their eyes until another chick would bump into them.

It is recommended to let the chicks know you are there by making some noise before they see you. It is natural instinct for them to panic when they see someting coming from above since this is how a raptor would attack. So I would whistle as I opened the door to the bathroom and approach them slowly. Still, they were a little shy and would crowd against the wall opposite me if I was close. But what really freaked them out was when I used my thermal leak detector to measure the temperature inside the brooder. I don't know if it was because I stuck a gun-like device inside the brooder or because it shines a colored light, but they broke out into a mad frenzy. But I wanted to ensure the temperatures were comfortable for them and the device assured me it was.

Chickens tend to establish a pecking order and pick on the weaker ones. There was some pecking going on but I certainly didn't see anyone as a dominant bully or a helpless victim.

It was a sunny, warm day so I took the rest of the day off to finish building my coop. It was a big relief to finally get that done.

Pastry and pasty

On the morning of April 11, 2014, I removed the newspaper I had placed on top of the pine shavings so the chicks could frolic about on the bare pine shavings. This made for a cleaner environment. But that also meant that the chicks were scratching and putting a lot of pine shavings into their fount. I ended up having to clean that out three times a day.

I bought pastries to share with my co-workers. I sent out an e-mail announcing the arrival of the chicks. It was truly a cause for celebration. I also brought in a list of the different breeds I ordered and the Meyer Hatchery catalog that shows what the breeds look like as chicks and as adults. After one of my co-workers noticed that the hatchery is located in Ohio, he commented, "I thought the only place one could order chicks from a catalog were in Russia."

Pasting up became an issue. That is when their poop sticks to their feathers and seals off their anus. If left untreated, it could be fatal. I took some warm water in a paper towel and blotted it for awhile before trying to remove it. I wasn't having much success so I turned warm water on a slow trickle and directed a few drops of water directly onto the caked up poop to soften it up before removing it. It took quite awhile and the buff orpingtons weren't too willing to cooperate. Unfortunately, they seemed to be the ones that were more prone to pasting up. Maybe it is because they are supposed to get bigger than a lot of the others so they are eating more.
It's mostly a problem during the first week, and that chicks that paste up once are likely to paste up again [56].

Coop-to-Coop Tour

On April 12, 2014, I was ready for the Howard County Conservancy Coop-to-Coop Tour. This was scheduled to run from 1000 to 1400. During this time, we had about 16 visitors. I got a lot of compliments on my coop. Most of the visitors did not have chickens but were very curious. A few already had some and wanted to see what others had done. I really enjoyed talking to people, especially the veteran chickens owners. I learned a few things.

Guinea hens make a good early warning system for the other chickens. They can be annoying but if they see a raptor, they let out a cry that alerts the others and gives them time to run for cover. The Guineas are pretty small and agile and can usually hide pretty quickly.

The EcoGlow 20 Chick Brooder doesn't need to provide 95 degrees of heat because it is a different type of heat than a heat lamp. It provides enough to keep the chicks happy and grow to adulthood.

Nothing fancy

The chicks are definitely more comfortable around me after having seen me so much.

I don't know much much they are drinking because I clean and change their water about three times a day. It almost seems like they are trying to kick pine shavings into the fount. Regarding food, they seem to be eating about half a mason jar of food per day. I know there are all kinds of chick and chickens treats and supplements out there but I am just using the starter feed from Southern States. It is nothing fancy but I think it is sufficient and the chicks really seem to like it. The folks that work at and shop and Southern States seem to be farmer types and not into all the frilly, fancy, newfangled stuff. So I'm guessing what they recommend will be sufficient, though not necessarily the latest thing to hit the market.

Heat lamp and EcoGlow20

The photos Norma and I took earlier with the heat lamp on didn't turn out so good. The red light from the lamp distorts the colors. I took some snapshots without the heat lamp on. Here they are.

I gave the EcoGlow20 another chance. I turned it on, stuck it in the brooder, and turned off the heat lamp. I periodically checked on the girls to see how they were doing. I am getting pretty good at recognizing if they are happy or not. The temperature under the EcoGlow20 was about 75 degrees and they were all huddled underneathe, keeping warm. They weren't complaining, but they weren't active either. I was reminded of my time in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during the first Gulf War. It was winter. Despite the fact that it was the desert, it was cold and rainy. We all huddled together in the back of the Humvee trying to stay warm and dry. We were o.k. but not exactly happy.

After about an hour, I turned off the EcoGlow20 and turned the heat lamp back on. Then they were spread out more, eating, drinking, and moving about. I think for now, I'll use the heat lamp and maybe switch to the EcoGlow20 when it is warmer or when they don't need as much warmth. I want them to eat and drink a lot so they can grow. Sitting huddled together might be good enough for them to stay alive and healthy but I think we can do better.

Real feathers

On April 13, 2014, I noticed that the chicks were growing real feathers, not just fluff, at the tips of their wings. They were noticeably larger too, though they maintained their infantile shape.

I thought they were getting used to being around people. That is true, but being handled is a totally different story. At this point, I don't care to handle them any more than necessary. They still get spooked. But they are fine as long as people don't make sudden moves, aren't loud, and maintain a safe distance.

It is fun watching them fall asleep. Their eyes slowly close. Then their head drops. Sometimes their beak plants down into the pine shavings. But they tend to walk all over each other so they often don't sleep for long before one of their peers wakes them up. Sometimes they sleep with their legs sprawled out behind. Other times, they use a neighbor as a pillow. I guess that's a little easier to do when your neighbor has real feathers.

Appetite increasing

On April 14, 2014, I cleared a few vents of chicks that were pasting up. It wasn't nearly as bad as before. It still seems the Buff Orpingtons are more prone to it than the others.

They were going through about a half jar of feed a day but now it is about a full jar.

Some of the chicks are starting to fly for a short distance. They jump and flap their wings and cover a pretty good distance. I know it isn't really flying but it isn't just jumping either. All that physical activity and growth is causing their appetite to increase.

Lettuce and cardboard

On April 16, 2014, I added about an inch and a half of pine shavings. I swept out the bathroom, wiped the floor, and took out the trash.

Norma has been giving the girls little bits of lettuce. It is hard to tell if they are really eating it. I think they prefer to fight over it and steal it from one another because the next day, I always find dried up pieces. Today she tried giving them little pieces of strawberry. We heard that chickens like red things. But they had no interest in the strawberry.

What they did find interest in was cardboard. I put a small square of cardboard under their fount to give a more solid base. I don't mind so much if the feeder gets knocked over but I really don't want the fount to tip. Today I changed the cardboard. Before I could put the fount on, they were fighting to stand on the cardboard and peck at it. Perhaps they are like my niece and just like to make noise. Give her a pot and spoon to bang together and she's happy.

Here is what they are looking like after about a week. Notice that some real feathers are starting to grow.

Toys

On April 18, 2014, I brought home some ping pong balls for them to play with. I figured the balls are so weightless that they could kick them around, peck at them, and have some fun. But they had no interest in them.

On April 19, 2014, I tried to play with the chicks like I play with our cat. I put out some string and slowly pulled it. It caught their attention. The yellow and black chicks attacked the end of the string and pecked at it as if it was a worm. The other chicks were a little hesitant to get close.

Flying

The chicks are getting really big. I think I am going to increase their brooder space very soon. They looked much too cramped in 5.55 square feet. A girl's got to spread her wings.

On April 20, 2014, I was refilling their feed jar. When I returned to the brooder, I saw one of the black chicks on top of the 18" brooder wall. Who says chicks can't fly? I have maybe 3-4 inches of litter in the brooder so effectively, the wall is only about 14" tall. I was very impressed that she was able to fly to the top of the wall and perch there. Once there, I don't think she knew what to do. I put her back then started working on making a taller wall...just a temporary solution.

Increasing real estate

On April 21, 2014, I more than doubled the size of the brooder, making it a total of 11.38 square feet. If the brooder was 12 square feet, then in theory, it would be good until they are eight weeks old.

The new brooder makes use of the old space in the shower plus the space just outside the shower. In between is a raised divide. I filled the shower with enough pine shavings so it was almost level with the divide. Then I built a ramp so they could get down the divide. But they didn't like that. It wasn't steep but it was slick. So I made stairs. They didn't much care for that either. One and a half inch steps may not seem very high but when you're only five inches tall and don't have any arms, I suppose it is. In the end, I just added a lot more pine shavings so the space on the other side of the divide was level with the space in the shower.

After pine shavings settled and they did some scratching, the divide was still a little higher than either side. It is rather slick. I didn't want anyone to lose their footing so I covered it with hockey tape which is grippy.

The chicks weren't so eager to investigate the new side of the brooder at first. As I might have expected, it was the yellow and black chicks that were the first to investigate.

The walls of the old brooder were the shower on three sides and corrugated plastic on the fourth side that was 18 inches high. For the expanded brooder, it still makes use of the shower walls and the wall outside of the shower. There is a single cardboard wall and it is 3.5 feet high. The top 1.5 feet fold down so I can reach in and change their water and food.

One problem I've had is that their fount keeps getting filled up with pine shavings. I figured if it was just a little higher, then this wouldn't be such an issue. So I made a little table out of scrap wood to rest it on. It raised it about an inch on one side which isn't much now that they are so much bigger. On the other side, they can step up onto the table to drink. It has been working very well.

The girls have been making good use of their additional space to sprint back and forth and fly. I laughed when one of the yellow birds flew right into the fount. She looked a little dazed.

I'm still playing with them using the string. The yellow and black chicks are still the ones most interested in it. Now that they have extra room, they will grab one end of the string and then run to the other side of the brooder to get away of the others that are also interested in it.

Veggies

On April 22, 2014, I bought more feed. They finished off their 25 pound bag.

I also bought some celery at the grocery store. I gave them some of the leaves after I tore them up. I made sure not to give them any stem-like parts...just the more easily digestible leafy parts. They really loved it. I put a stack of the leaves on the table I made for them. One of the yellow or black birds grabbed the first leaf and started running with it. Then the other birds chased it and tried to take away the leaf. But there was still a whole stack of leaves at the table. That was fine since it gave some of the less aggressive birds a chance.

Pasting up no longer seems to be an issue.

The Rhode Island Red (Rosemary) is not as active as the others. She doesn't seem as hungry and doesn't run around as much.

On April 24, 2014, I added more pine shavings. Norma fed them some spinach. I make sure she just gives them the leafy parts (not the stems), washes it off, and breaks it up into small pieces.

Finger perch

I took some photos of them now that they are two weeks and a day old. They are not as afraid of the camera as they used to be but they still panic when I add more pine shavings. In the below picture, you can see their fount mounted on their table.

Today was a huge breakthrough in terms of socializing. I put my hand out and one of them put a foot on my finger. I slowly raised my hand up and then she put her other foot on my finger. She was perched on my hand! She stayed there for quite a long time, even when I raised my hand up.
I couldn't get any of the other chicks to do that. The fact that this one perched on my finger before Norma's is like a baby saying "Daddy" before saying "Mommy."

Playtime

Rosemary is still often the one that is sitting when the others are moving about. It would be good of I could motivate her to get a little exercise. I checked her vent. All clear. She looks normal. She will be one of the bigger birds so I am wondering if her calories are being used more for growing than being active.

On April 28, 2014, I bought a couple of small bells. I suspended them from an arm I made with a bent-up wire coat hanger. I know chickens often like to peck at shiny things. Not only is a bell shiny but it moves around and makes noise when they peck it. I was certain it would be a big hit and encourage them to play. I was wrong. They had no interest in it.

I've been playing with them regularly using the string. They really like to attack it. The small black bird and the larger brown Easter Egger are the most aggressive. They grab that string and run around quite a bit. A few of them shake their head real hard like a Rat Terrier with a mouse. Their head becomes a big blur when they do this. But Rosemary has no interest in such activities.

I had the cardboard wall of the brooder folded down so it was only about 20 inches high while I changed their water and feed. The big brown Easter Egger flew to the top of the wall and perched there.

It is still just that one bird that is willing to perch for more than a few seconds on my hand though I was successful in getting the big brown Easter Egger to perch briefly. The others hate to be picked up but they will approach my hand freely. Maybe if I play with them more, they will be more open to being handled.

The girls hate the sound of my fingers rubbing on duct tape. It either freaks them out or they all get totally silent and freeze up. Clearly, they don't like it.

Gatorade for Rosemary

On April 29, 2014, Norma expressed concern over Rosemary. She fed her sugar water from an eyedropper, much to Rosemary's objections.

The next day, I added fresh pine shavings and swapped out their feed and water jars with clean ones. I do that weekly. I am in the habit of refilling their feed and fount at least twice a day now. They are eating about 1.75 jars of feed a day though I don't know how much of that feed just ends up in the pine shavings.

They got a lot of celery leaves that day, which they love.

I played with the chicks for awhile using the string. I am doing that now daily. It really works up their appetite. I threw the string to Rosemary quite a bit. She got involved but wasn't as interested as the other chicks. Still, she got the string twice. She doesn't make any noise unless she is picked up. Then she complains a lot.

Norma gave Rosemary some Gatorade and water. Rosemary did not like being force fed but it was for her own good.

Osprey

Here is what they look like after three weeks. Notice the big black and white one? We started calling her "Osprey" because she doesn't look like a chicken to us. Maybe a raptor egg got mixed up with the chicken eggs.

On May 4, 2014, I took them outside and put them in the run. The temperature was in the high 60s and low 70s. They didn't like me putting them in a cardboard box to take them out there but once they were there, they didn't want to leave the safety of the box. This is when I found them to be most affectionate. I picked them up and found that they would rather be perched on my hand (or my boot) than on the ground.

After awhile, I put them on the ground where they were not so certain about their surroundings. But eventually, they enjoyed it. They were looking all over the place and pecking at everything.

Rosemary acted totally differently outside. In the brooder, she seemed lazy and/or depressed. But outside, she was as lively as all the others. So we quit giving her Gatorade and worrying about her.

Several people came over to see the chicks that day: Bishop and his girlfriend Jacklyn, Andre and his daughter Aria, Annette and her friend Diana, Jimmy, his wife Joyce, and their daughter Harlem.

Sitting in the run, we were successful in holding several of the chicks.

Leaving the brooder

On May 6, 2014, the temperature was in the 70s so I let the chicks outside for a few hours after work. Most of their time is still in the brooder but they are gradually getting used to being in the run. They hate going into the box that I use to transport them, but they really enjoy being outside.

I looked at the forecast for the next several days out starting from May 8, 2014. Nights would generally be in the 60s, which is a good bit warmer than previous temperatures in the high 40s. High temperatures would be in the 70s and 80s. So I prepared the coop and moved them in. They still have the heat lamp but now I have it set on a timer so it only comes on at night and early morning.

They are getting much easier to handle.

Repairs, upgrades, and features

On May 9, 2014, they finished off their third bag of 25 pound feed so I bought 3 more bags. I also bought some starter chick grit because now they are eating more plants. Their regular feed has grit in it but if they're eating plants and less feed, then they will need supplemental grit.

That night, their heat lamp quit working. I'm guessing the bulb burned out. Fortunately, it was only supposed to get down to 64 degrees. 75 degrees is what they should have at their age. I plugged in the EcoGlow 20 Chick Brooder and put it in the coop. I figured it would be better than nothing. I also closed the windows and vents to trap any warmth.

The next morning, everyone was up and ready to go. The lack of sufficient heat didn't seem to bother anyone. It was supposed to get up to 81 degrees so I put everyone in the run. Now that they are in such a big space, it is hard to catch them.

I've been doing some coop repairs and upgrades. I added grip tape to the ramp. I want them to start using the ramp as soon as they can but I also don't want them to fall. Grip tape kept me from falling off my skateboard when I was young so I figured it might help them too.

I made a small roost and put it in their coop to get them used to sleeping on a stick. I used a one inch diameter PVC pipe that is six feet long. I wrapped it in hockey tape so they can grip onto it better. It is raised about three inches from the ground. A few perched on it and it looks like the diameter is a good size. I think of it as a "training roost" in the same way that young girls wear a training bra.

Venturing out of the coop

May 11, 2021 was the nicest day of the year. I opened their coop door to the run. They curiously looked out the door. I put their food and water in the run. A couple hours later, they were all out of the coop and in the run. Success!

Later in the day, I went in the run to spend some quality time with them. I fed them some vegetables that Norma picked. That means less that I have to eat, which is not a bad thing. I got one of the Buff Orpingtons to sit on my wrist.

As it got darker and colder, they started chirping loudly. I turned on the heat lamp to let them know to go into the coop where it would be warm. But they wanted to stay outside. They huddled together between the coop and the run. I had to lift them out and put them in the coop. Once in the coop, they wanted to roost but the roost I made for them wasn't high enough. They clearly wanted to be higher up than three inches. One flew up to the full sized roost but it was too big for her.

I started cleaning the brooder in the downstairs bathroom. A fine layer of dust covered everything. It wasn't like sawdust...it was much finer. There was poop on the walls too. I got the sawdust out. I'll clean out the rest later.

Fermented feed

As of May 13, 2014, the friendly, larger black and white chick will perch on my shoulder as I walk around the yard. She almost looks like a twin of the smaller black and white chick so I am hestitant to call her by her name until I know what breed she is since she and her "twin" are of different breeds. Until then, I will just call her my favorite until I think of something else to call her.

They still need to be put in coop at night but they are more than happy to leave it in the morning.

They are not using roost I made. Perhaps they will once it gets warmer. They huddle together when sleeping near the heat lamp. Some like to dig a little hole for themselves in the pine shavings.

I started making fermented feed based on Why and how to ferment your chicken feed. As instructed, I filled a jar between 1/3 and 1/2 full. Then I added enough water to cover it.

The next day, after coming home from work, I noticed that some fluid had leaked out of the jar, despite having put the lid on securely. I opened the jar and a whole bunch of feed exploded out! Apparently, it expanded quite a bit. Though it probably didn't have enough time to ferment, I took some out to the hens in a small plate. They LOVED it! I added more water to the jar and sealed it back up.

I spent some time in the run. My favorite was the first to sit on my hand and she now jumps onto my arm if I stick it out. She is still more than willing to sit on my shoulder for as long as she can. Today, she sat on my head. The other birds are starting to follow her lead. At one point, I had five birds perched on me!

Once the sun sets, they don't want to go into the coop. Instead, they all try to huddle together in a corner or tight opening. I think the problem is the brown Easter Egger. She is the biggest, strongest, and heaviest. The others follow her lead. She picks a spot to sleep and the others crowd around her. I think if I can get her to go into the coop at night, the others will follow. Maybe I can bribe her with fermented feed.

Bonding with the chicks

During May 15-21, 2014, I worked with the chicks a lot. I feel that this is a real bonding moment for us...sort of like when a child is maturing but hasn't yet entered the rebellious teenage years.

I got the twins to sit on my shoulders for a long time. That's a win!

I thought that if I got brown Easter Egger into the coop, the others would follow but that is not the case. Maybe she's not the alpha.

I let the chicks out of the run to wander and explore the backyard. They really enjoyed running amok. But I am still unable to get them to go into the coop when it gets dark.

I made a dust bath for them so they can practice proper hygiene. I put it directly under the coop to help keep it dry. It is in a big aluminum pan that is 20"x12". I filled it up about two inches deep which means 0.28 cubic feet. The dust bath is comprised of the season's worth of ashes from our pellet stove. It is a very fine powder made of wood ashes. I haven't seen them use it.

The chicks are finally getting adjusted to their new home.

I started a fresh batch of fermented chicken feed, which we now simply call "mash." The last batch was smelling pretty strong though I don't necessarily think it went bad.

I let them out of the coop about an hour before dark. Once the sun started to set, they all gathered together just outside of the run. They knew the run was sanctuary but they didn't know how to get back in. I dug out Norma's old badminton raquets and used one to direct them to the entrance of the run. Once they saw the opening, they went in. Then I had to direct them into the coop. It took a little raquet persuation. About three went in fairly easily. The others took a little more convincing. Two of the Blondies (my nickname for the Buff Orpingtons) just didn't want to go in and I had to pick them up and put them in. My favorite and another Blondie sat on my shoulder the whole time. They were eventually put in through the side opening. Interestingly, my favorite actually flew off my shoulder and tried to go in through the window of the coop. She got tangled up in the wire that connects to the coop door motor and I had to untangle her.

On May 19, the chicks thought I was a good perch.

But the next night, they thought Norma was an even better perch.

A day later, Norma set a new record for having the most chicks perched on her. I think they do this because they are cold and we are warm...or maybe they just like us.

The chicks had a hard time finding their way back into the run once it started getting dark. I had to help them out. But once they were in the run, they all went up the ramp and into the coop by themselves. That was a big success. Now if only they can be consistent.

Time for bed

During May 22-31, 2014, I worked on getting the chicks to go into the coop at night. They were at a point where they all figured out their way into the run by themselves but not all of them would go into the coop once it got dark. Osprey likes to stay outside. She is the black and white Easter Egger.

I did some work to put in a lower door so I can access the space below the coop. While I was doing that, I had the top panel open and three of the girls perched on the lower panel to watch me work.

On May 26, I played with the chicks using the string. I pulled it and some of them started chasing it. One of them grabbed it and started running. But since she wasn't limited to the space of the brooder, she ran all around the backyard for a few minutes. I held onto the other end of the string, running with her. It was hilarious. Some of the others did the same.

Like the previous night when I worked on putting in a lower door, I opened the top panel of the coop at night. But this time, instead of three perching on the lower panel, they totally filled it up. The ones that couldn't fit perched on the roost. Nobody wanted to be left out.

On May 27, it rained so I didn't let the girls out of the run. A few stayed under the coop while the others stayed under the ramp. By the time it got dark, only three or four were in the coop. The others were still under the ramp, huddled together. I moved them to the coop.

The girls turned six weeks old on May 28 which means they only need 95 - (6 x 5) = 65 degrees of warmth. I thought about taking away their heat lamp and replacing it with a 60 watt white bulb that will be on from dusk to 2100. But it is supposed to get down to 57 degrees, 55 after that, then 53 a couple of days later. After second thoughts, I figured I'd leave their heat lamp for another week.

On May 29, the girls were let out late in the day, as usual. They all made it back into the run and the coop by dusk. In the evening, all were perched on the roost. Nobody wants to use the lower of the two roosts. Several perch on the 2x4 support beam above the highest roost. It wasn't intended to be used as a roost but some of them like it.

Tweens

The chicks are becoming chickens...or at least pullets. My, how fast they grow up. As of June 2, 2014, they are over 6 1/2 weeks old and the nighttime low temperatures are getting higher. I decided it was time to turn off the heat lamp. Instead, I have a shop light that I turn on just before dusk and for about a half hour after dusk so they will go into the coop.

The following day, I switched the girls over to their adult feeder and fount. They are big enough now so they don't need their baby fount and feeder.

On June 6, I spilt some feed on the rocks under the coop a few days ago. I ended up putting the fount on top of it. Once in awhile I would dump some old water out of the fount by tipping it slightly. Today I noticed that all that water got the spilt feed wet and kept it from drying out. The result...mold! I removed the moldy feed and then sprayed the remains with diluted bleach after they were all in the coop for the night.

Someone told me that his chicks like to chase the red dot created by a laser pointer. I gave it a try and it worked with my chicks too. They like to peck at it.

As of June 14, it has been raining every day all week. The pine shavings in their run haven't had a chance to dry out and their coop is very humid. Odors are not terrible but they are much more noticeable.

Over the last couple of weeks, the girls have become much less attached to me. They come to me if they think they will get some mash or a treat but otherwise, they prefer to maintain their distance. They have no desire to be picked up or to perch on Norma or me. I guess that is just how teenagers are.

They are becoing more adventurous. No longer do they stay in the area around the run. Now they go into the lower garden bed and eat Norma's vegetables. When I see them do that, I chase them away with a badminton raquet. Norma said she saw one walking up the stairs to our deck. I fear that it is only a matter of time before they fly to the top of our privacy fence near our garage, which is low. Whether or not they will venture out of the backyard remains to be seen but I don't think they will.

One June 18, I bought them some dried mealworms. A small bag of this (less than a pound) costs more than 25 pounds of their regular feed. I gave them all a taste. They looked at it for a couple of minutes, not knowing what to think. Then one of the Blondies ate it. Soon, they were all eating it. After they finished it off, I came back with a little more which I fed them by hand. They were not shy about eating out of my hand. I will use this to get them more used to being close to me and to reward them when they do what I want.

It is still hard to determine the breed of certain ones. My favorite is nicknamed crooked toe for now because she has one. As she matures, her adult features will allow me to determine her breed.

As of June 26, they are still eating mealworms out of my hand. Sometimes I will raise my hand high and put out my other arm so they can use it as a perch to get to the mealworms. Only "crooked toe" will climb up on my arm to get the treat.

Blondies to the farm

I mentioned that I had 12 chicks. But eight is the legal limit in Howard County. Not intending to be labeled a chicken outlaw, I intended to pass on four of the chicks to my sister-in-law once they got older. She has a 220+ acre farm in western Maryland with about 16 hens, goats, pigs, and cattle. All the chickens she has arrived as pullets. This being the case, she is limited in the breeds she can request. She only has Rhode Island Reds. She wanted to get a few Buff Orpingtons so I said I would raise a few and then sell them to her. So that is what I did.

My four Buff Orpingtons were never named because they were temporary and I couldn't tell them apart. I simply called them the "Blondies." I found them to be somewhat assertive and more confident than the other chickens.

After about 11 weeks, it was time to pass the Blondies onto my sister-in-law. So on June 28, 2014, Norma and I caught the first three easily but it took awhile to get the fourth. Even with two people armed with tennis raquets to herd the chickens, it was very difficult to catch the last Blondie. But eventually we did. They all went into the trunk of my car which had a cloth tarp covering the floor. I made sure they got some food and water for the 3.5 hour drive to the farm. We did our best to ensure they got plenty of fresh, cool air. Norma sat in the back to periodically check on them.

We arove at our destination. When we arrived, she and her husband were making hay.

On their farm, the chickens and goats live in the same building. I have seen a video of a goat protecting a chicken from a raptor so maybe them living together is a good thing.

We unloaded them from my car, put them in a dog crate, and then moved them to their new home.

The veteran chickens were walking about the area, wondering who the rookies were.

Some of the Rhode Island Reds were taking a dust bath. I grabbed a few and introduced them to the Blondies, still in the cage.

Eventually, the Rhode Island Reds all had a chance to meet the new arrivals but they were separated by a cage or fence. The two groups wouldn't actually get in contact with one another for awhile. One has to be careful about introducing new birds to a flock. Otherwise, things can get violent.

The Blondies are smaller than the full-grown Rhode Island Reds but not by a lot. The Rhode Island Reds were purchased de-beaked so they wouldn't be able to cause as much damage to each other. In contrast, the Blondies are not de-beaked so hopefully they would be in a better position to defend themselves if the Rhode Island Reds gang up on them.

I left my sister-in-law about nine pounds of starter feed and a small sandwich bag filled with starter grit.

As the sun set, the Blondies were frantic to roost. We put tool handles through the cage so they could.

I was very sad seeing them leave. Even though I knew from the start that they were temporary, I also knew that from about three days old until now, mine was the only home they knew. Their new home might be as good and perhaps even better than their old one. They would have much more space to roam and they would be out of their pen more often. I suppose I felt like a parent saying good-bye to their children who are off to college. A better analogy might be a kid that trains a puppy to help a disabled person and must eventually say good-bye.

I estimate that I spent a total of $42.60 on the Blondies, their food, grit, and pine shavings so that is what I charged for them.

Update

On July 23, my sister-in-law reported the following regarding the Blondies:
They are pretty much out and about with the bigger hens, but they do not roost with them. I can tell that their tail feathers are getting bigger, and their "voices" are maturing.

On October 19, 2014, Norma went to the farm and visited the Blondies. They looked healthy.

On November 30, 2014, I saw the Blondies. This was the first time I saw them since I said farewell.

The Rhode Island Reds (which are not from me) are older than the Blondies. They are not looking so nice now because they are molting. But the Blondies are not because they are less than a year old. I find it strange that they molt as it gets cold. It seems like they would want to keep their feathers at this time of year and shed them in the summer.

I wonder if the Blondies remember me. It would be nice if they did but really all that matters is that they are healthy and happy.

Now that the Blondies are gone, I am down to eight hens and within the legal limit for Howard County.

My coop and run are only made to hold eight so I feel like the chickens I now have will be under less stress. Certainly the group dynamics have changed. The blondies were very outgoing and assertive. Every time a chicken leaves or a new one arrives, the pecking order gets shaken up.

One fear of mine is that one of girls will actually be a boy. Roosters are not permitted on lots like mine in Howard County. I don't know if I'd be able to give away a rooster which might mean the worst. But I knew that when I took the responsibility of ordering the chickens. As a good citizen, I will do what is right.

Based on what I read, roosters will typically begin crowing at about four or five months of age [42]. As of July 27, 2014, my chickens are 14 weeks old. They are like teenagers and undergoing puberty. If I had to make a guess as to who is a rooster, I would say Osprey. Molly pointed out that she (or he) has the long tail feathers that hang down. She is a little taller than most but she isn't assertive or aggressive. In fact, the opposite is true. She doesn't have leadership traits. I heard that one can drop something between young chickens and if all run away except one or two, it is those few that are likely roosters. I tried this and Osprey was the only one that didn't run away. They say that a rooster will look around, ready to protect the hens. But Osprey is not very smart, even by chicken standards. She tends to be one of the last to figure out that everyone else is gone. Still, I fear that she is a rooster. Only time will tell.

The girls are curious by nature. Here's Gertrude checking out my camera.

I spend a lot of time in the backyard working on landscaping, and when I'm there, I let them out. They often follow me around and like to see what I'm doing, especially if it involves digging. I've trained them to come running when I whistle because they think they are getting a treat. In this case, it is fermented feed.

I was working near the spring. They came to watch me and in doing so, found the standing water from the spring and started drinking it. If this was a clean flowing spring, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but the ground is very soft and a footprint will soon fill with water which becomes stagnant. I hope to have this resolved in another month or two but in the meantime, I'm concerned they might catch something, so I put out a clean bowl of water out where they hang out near the cherry tree.

On August 3, 2014, Norma learned that the chickens do not like tomatoes. We've read that other people's chickens like them...just not ours. I tried feeding them some cole slaw awhile back and they didn't like that either.

I feed them some cooked quinoa. They ate it but I don't think they liked that I had just gotten it out of the fridge.

They are 17 weeks old as of August 7. At 16 weeks of age, they are supposed to transition from chick feed to adult feed. They still have another week or two of chick feed that I'll finish off before I open the new bag of adult feed and get them started on adult grit.

The twins are looking more different. My favorite, the one I call "Crooked Toe" is a little smaller and has a rose comb. I determined that she is a Dominique so her name is Dorothy. The other one is a Barred Plymouth Rock and her name is Beatrice. She has a single comb. Mystery solved.

On August 9, I saw my sister-in-law who gave me an update on the Blondies. They seem to be getting along with the Rhode Island Reds and she hasn't witnessed any bullying. What is interesting is that they aren't sleeping near each other. The Blondies fly up into the rafters. In the coop I made, the rafters were the favorite place to nest, but in the chicken and goat shed, the rafters are 7-8 feet high. I'm guessing they first get on the four-foot fence that keeps the goats in their place. Then they fly up. But that is quite a feat. Getting down is also impressive. I am still sad that they are gone but I think they are in a very good place.

Rosemary and Edith used to be the biggest hens. But as of August 15, Rosemary is small, by comparison. She doesn't have a very strong personality, so the more confident ones, Abigail, Dorothy, and Beatrice, chase her away when I bring out snacks. I try to make sure she gets some but she doesn't like to get near people. I think the whole Gatorade incident traumatized her. Gwendolyn is another one that is small and prone to getting picked on. But at least she will eat out of my hand if the others don't interfere. In contrast, Abigail used to be the runt and now she is quite bulky. But she was always very confident. So now she has the muscle to back it up.

They love sunflower seeds (shelled).

In the picture below, the girls are taking a dust bath under one of our fruit trees. If you look closely, you can see all their faces except Osprey.

On August 20, they started consuming adult feed. Next step...eggs!

First egg

Before Norma and I left for vacation on August 19, 2014, I put down some straw in the nesting boxes. Our neighbors checked on the girls and reported that the straw was looking like it was being flattened out and arranged like a nest. Sure enough, when Norma and I came home August 27, I found a single egg in the middle nesting box. It was small...barely 2" at its longest point. Its color is light beige. My chicken sitter thinks Abigail is the culprit since she had been spending some time in the nesting box. This makes 20 weeks since their birth to the first egg.

Over the next few days, I got more eggs, all looking the same. I seem to be getting about two every three days. I didn't bother to put fake eggs in the nesting box to teach them where to lay. They just figured it out on their own. I fear that on days where they spend a lot of time outside, they might choose to lay in the yard but so far I haven't found any.

On September 2, 2014, I found three eggs! This is the first time I found more than one. Two were in a single nesting box while one was under the coop. Someone is a slow learner.

Three days later, Norma witnessed a couple of very interesting things. She found two normal eggs. But she also found an egg that was laid without a shell. It looked like a broken egg but there were no shell fragments. It was laid in the run.
Soft shells or missing shells occur when a hen's shell-forming mechanism malfunctions or for some reason one of her eggs is rushed through and laid prematurely. Stress induced by fright or excitement can cause a hen to expel an egg before the shell is finished [23].

Later that day, she found another egg with a soft, flexible shell. At first I thought it was just a membrane but Norma says it is a soft shell. It was laid in the coop, outside of the nesting box.

On September 9, 2014, we ate some of our first eggs. Norma scrambled them and mixed them with rice, bell peppers, ocra, and other stuff. I would like to say that they tasted much better than store-bought but I really couldn't tell since there were so many other flavors in this dish.

I was hoping to find an egg with no yolk. These are called cock egg. We found no such eggs.

As of September 12, 2014, four of them are laying. Two lay brown eggs and two lay white. I'm not sure who exactly is laying but I am fairly certain that at least Rosemary and Abigail are laying while the Easter Eggers are not.

The next day, we gave a dozen eggs to our good neighbors Sara and Don, who took care of the girls when we were on holiday. They are the recipients of the first eggs we have given or sold.

On September 17-24, 2014, my parents paid me a visit. They were very pleased to meet the girls. We took quite a few photos of the chickens.

I gave a dozen eggs to my very good friend Jenn.

On September 29 2014, we got a very interesting egg. It was 2.7 inches long and the shell had a few spots that were extra thick...as if someone had glued on a couple chipped pieces of another shell. But the most interesting thing was the top. It had a swirly pattern. I don't know who laid this egg. We got another egg a couple days later that also had this swirly pattern.

As of October 1, 2014, here is my assessment of the girls, who are now 25 weeks old. I listed them in order of my favorite to least favorite.

Beatrice: She is friendly and full of life. If anyone flies up on your shoulder, back, or arm, it will be her.

Dorothy: Not only does she look like Beatrice, she acts like her too. The two of them have great personalities.

Gertrude: She is curious and adventurous. She's not afraid to walk up on the deck and look for a handout. If anyone were to win an agility contest, it would be her. She is very athletic. Gertrude also pecks hard. Feeding her by hand might be a little painful.

Gwendolyn: She is the runt. Because of that, she is a little shy and is sometimes picked on. I have to make a special effort to ensure she gets treats when I'm handing them out. After a few weeks of doinng this, she has become much more friendly around people.

Osprey: Chickens aren't known for being particularly smart and I think Osprey might be the least intelligent of the bunch. When the others are walking up the plank and into the coop, she's still trying to figure out how to get into the run. But folks like her for her good raptor-like looks.

Rosemary: She has never been particularly friendly and even though she is not small, she sometimes gets picked on. She lacks confidence.

Edith: She is a big of a loner. She doesn't bother anyone and she is a little shy. She can fly very well when she wants.

Abigail: She is a loner and a bully. I think she has low self-esteem issues because she is a little overweight and a terrible flier. She picks on Gwendolyn and Rosemary. Even when there is plenty of food, if Gwendolyn or Rosemary are next to her and eating quickly, Abigail will chase them away. I give her a light slap on the head when she does this.

It isn't easy taking photos of chickens. They are not cooperative models. Every once in awhile, I can get all eight in a shot.

On October 24, 2014, I fed the girls their usual mash. Norma came out with a camera so I could show how tame my favorite four have gotten. In the following photo, on the left in the front is Dorothy with Gwendolyn behind. On the right is Beatrice with Gertrude behind. Rosemary is on the lower right, looking for a spot to perch. She tried to fly up on my knee but fell off.

Here is a side view.

Laying hens will often squat down once someone gets near.
It is a submissive behavior often displayed to roosters to accept their willingness to mate [59].

Abigail and Edith are the least social of the group when is comes to interacting with people. In the below pic, Abigail is in the front and Edith behind. I recently saw the two of them square off. They bumped chests like sumos. Edith was the winner. Since then, the two have become BFFs.

On October 26, 2014, our neighbors, Sara and Don, came over for dinner. Naturally, they had to see the girls. They met Gwendolyn who shows just how tame she has become.

Here, all the girls are hungry and ready for some mash.

On November 6, 2014, we noticed Abigail demonstrating broody behavior. She was sitting on eggs at night instead of roosting. We removed the eggs and that was the end of that.

Around November 16, 2014, I started using the Heated Base, Model HP-125 by Farm Innovators. This is a 125 watt device that keeps my double wall metal fount from freezing. It is designed to keep water from freezing in temperatures as low as 10 degrees. It is more than a month out from winter and we're already getting low temperatures of 19! The heated base works fine with a regular 120 volt outlet.

On November 20, 2014, I observed Rosemary limping. I did not see any other signs of injury on Rosemary, and the other girls seemed fine. I'm wondering if Blackie, our neighbor's cat, got her. Norma and I checked her out that evening. We saw no open wounds or swelling. She did not respond with pain when the injured (left) leg was touched or squeezed. After a few weeks, she was fine.

On November 23, 2014, Carmen and her friend Daniella came over. Gentle Beatrice made friends with Carmen.

A little while later, more assertive Dorothy flew up on Daniella's shoulder and then plucked her pearl earring off her ear and swallowed it. It was a genuine salt water pearl. Fortunately, Daniella was not upset and Dorothy showed no ill signs from swallowing the pearl. We never found it.

Interestingly, Perl was a name I considered for our chickens but I don't think we've had any whose breed started with the letter 'P'. I wanted to name her after my favorite computer programming language.

Daniella took some photos of Norma and me with Asha and the girls for our 2014 Christmas card.

In December 2014, I put up a windbreak on the north and northwest sides of the coop. These are where the coldest and prevailing winds blow. I used the old corrugated plastic walls of the brooder I purchased to create the windbreak under the coop. This was secured by zip ties. For the run, I used a canvas tarp suspended by Easy Klips. This wasn't a cheap solution but it certainly did the job.

On Christmas Day 2014, Norma tended to her garden while the girls tried to help.

January 7, 2015 was our first really cold winter day. It got down to 10 degrees at night. I put in a 75 watt heat lamp. I know plenty of people don't provide supplemental heat for their chickens and they do just fine but personally, I think anything below 20 degrees is too darn cold for a warm blooded critter without a lot of fat that doesn't burrow. It is hard to find heat lamp bulbs under 175 watts but if you look in the reptile section of a pet store, you'll find them. According to "Pet Solutions - Fluker's Red Heat Incandescent Reptile Bulb" (a broken link as of 2018), a 75 watt heat bulb should provide 85 degrees of warmth at 18 inches from the source. A 40 watt heat bulb provides 78 degrees at 18 inches, while a 150 watt heat bulb provides 95 degrees at 18 inches. The relationship between heat and distance is non-linear but if you have some numerical analysis skills, I'm sure you could write a polynomial function that interpolates the heat and distance relationship.

On January 10, 2015, Norma and I put petroleum jelly on the combs of the chickens with longer combs: Beatrice, Gertrude, Rosemary, and Gwendolyn. Supposedly, this helps prevent frostbite.

The following day, I found a green egg under the coop. This was the first green egg I've found. Clearly, it was from an Easter Egger (Osprey or Edith). It was a subtle lime green...the color one might expect of an egg laid by a zombie chicken. It took them nine months to start laying as compared to some of the others that started in less than five months. In the below photo, you can see a green egg compared with a brown one. This was my first green egg and it was cracked...hence the darker lines. The others have been fine and laid in the nesting box.

On January 29, 2015, I had two green eggs laid in a single day. Thus, there is little doubt that both Easter Eggers are laying. I was hoping one would lay green eggs and the other blue but their eggs look nearly identical.

Two days later, I got five eggs. So far, that's the most I've gotten in a single day. Usually, hens don't lay as much when the days are short, but I think I now have all eight laying so production is good. I expect in the spring I'll have about six a day.

I spoke too soon. Within ten days, the girls set a record with six eggs in one day and then seven! The below picture shows some of the eggs they had been laying over a few days.

The morning temperature outside was only six degrees on February 15, 2015. There was a northwest wind of 28 to 33 miles per hour, with gusts as high as 55. That night, it is supposed to get down to two degrees with wind chill values as low as -14. Wind chill isn't much of an issue since the coop blocks any wind, and I have windbreaks put up on the run on the north and west sides (the dominant wind direction). Still, it was crazy cold. In 20 degree weather, I've seen them act normal. But not today. Most of them didn't want to leave the coop. I kept the 70 watt heat lamp bulb on all day and night. I brought food and water into their coop. I used our cat's water bowl for the chickens and put it on top of a big wooden platform to prevent them from tipping it over. I know you're not supposed to bring water into the coop but I was worried they might dehydrate if I didn't. I had to replace that water frequently to ensure it didn't freeze. The water under their coop has a heater so I wasn't worried about their main water supply, though it was just doing a mediocre job at these temperatures.

I found a single egg in the morning and it was broken. It wasn't just cracked. It looked like someone laid it and then they (or another hen) pecked it and made a small hole from which they could eat the contents. I've heard that once chickens learn to eat their eggs, it can be a hard habit to break. So I checked their nesting box frequently during this cold weekend and immediately removed any eggs I found. I think because it is so cold and they don't want to go out, they are worried about getting food and water. That's part of the reason I'm letting them eat and drink in the coop. In general, I forbid it but when it gets this cold, I'll make an exception.

Their thermometer read eight degrees outside. What was the temperature inside the coop? My Taylor 1522 Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer indoor probe said it was 32. After reading the description of the Taylor 1522, it turns out the indoor probe has a temperature range of 32 to 122 while the outdoor probe has a range of -40 to 158. So using the indoor probe, I'll never really know how cold it is inside the coop if it is below 32 degrees. It wasn't made for coops.

Eventually, they started coming out of the run but they really didn't like it and avoided it if they could. I know I wouldn't want to be walking around in the snow with my bare feet so I can't blame them.

Norma and I put more petroleum jelly on the combs of the four hens with long combs on February 17. I later read that this practice really doesn't protect them from the cold. That might be true but I know that during the winter, lip moisturizer keeps the skin on my lips from cracking and peeling. I don't need it in the summer. So maybe the petroleum jelly still manages to do some good.

During the wee hours of Friday, February 20, 2015, it was zero degrees. That was my first time I had experienced non-positive temperatures. This same source said it got down to negative two degrees the next night though I find that questionable.

The snow melts under the deck first, so I dug a path so the girls could get there. The dirt under the deck is also very good for dust baths. The first night, some of them weren't smart enough to make it back to the coop so I had to carry them.

Around February 25, 2015, I quit using their heat lamp. Maybe I'll just use it if it gets exceptionally cold but everyone I spoke to claims they don't need it. My sister-in-law never uses it at her Garrett County farm and it is usually 10 degrees colder there than in Savage. I think the reason I've been getting so many eggs is because the heat lamp is affecting their sleep patterns, making them think there is more daylight than there really is. I didn't think that would be the case since it isn't full spectrum, but otherwise it is hard to explain why I am sometimes getting seven eggs a day from eight hens. Based on what I read, laying that much in the winter is hard on the girls. I'd rather get fewer eggs and have them live longer, happier lives.

In the game of Hackysack, you stand amongst a circle of people and kick a small footbag (called a hackysack) to each other. If everyone in the circle kicks the bag before it touches the ground, then it is called a "hack." I use a similar term for my chickens. If each lays one egg in a single day, then it is called an egg hack. On March 11, 2015, we had our first egg hack. On March 16, we had another.

On March 16, 2015, Gwendolyn was attacked by a raptor. I wasn't home at the time but Norma was. She was working in her garden when out of the corner of her eye, she thought two of the chickens hit each other in midair. But on closer examination, she saw one of the birds fly away into a tree. The one that flew away was a raptor and it flew to its mate. On the ground with feathers all around was little Gwendolyn, the runt of the group. It appears the raptor tried to carry her away and was unsuccessful. Norma said she was only about 10 feet away when this happened. Gwendolyn was unharmed. No obvious injuries and the next day she was fine too. The girls seemed oblivious to what just happened. They just went about their normal business of scratching and pecking. Norma put them in the run for the rest of the evening. This all occurred around 1915. This is the first time this has happened. With our nice privacy fence, we figured raptors would be the biggest threat. We decided to keep the girls in the run for the next week unless one of us was outside watching. The next day, I did just that, staying with them for about 45 minutes before they went into the coop for the evening. I kept looking in the trees for any raptors but didn't see any. Norma contacted Andy B., a raptor expert, and described what happened. He replied,
My bet would be [the attacker was a] Red-shouldered Hawk based on the fact that there was a pair. Coopers Hawks have been known to go after chickens but there wouldn't be two of them together. Red-tailed Hawks would be paired now, but they are much bigger and would have taken it away with ease. You may have to keep watch because hawks and owls are opportunists and will keep coming back.

On March 21, 2015, I switched the power from grid to solar. I was hoping our last day of snow was March 20, 2015. At this time, their food and water consumption increased noticeably as compared to a month ago. A couple of days later, I turned off the solar. It wasn't sufficient. Not enough sun and we still have a few cold nights that require the fount heater.

On March 28, 2015, I ran a test on the solar panel. I had heard that the battery should be placed in close proximity to the panel because voltage is lost over distance. The cord attached to the panel is about 10 feet long. In addition to this, I was using an extension cord that is about another 15 feet long. This just made it easier to position the battery where it would be out of the way. Around 1100 that day, I tested the voltage both at the end of the 10 foot long cord and at the end of the 15 foot long cord attached to the 10 foot long cord (equivalent to a 25 foot long cord). The difference in voltage between the two was insignificant.

On April 11, 2015, I tried switching the power from grid to solar again. Still no good though I don't think it has anything to do with not enough sunlight. The only thing that uses electricity is the timer switch and the motor for the door. The fount heater has been removed so any electric usage should be minimal. I tried it out with two different inverters. Neither worked. All I can figure is that there wasn't enough power in the battery. Maybe the problem is the battery and maybe it is the solar panel. Regardless, I've spent far too much money on this and don't plan to spend anymore. I'm sticking with grid power for now.

In June 2015, the oak tree on the south side in our backyard became a victim of alcohol flux:
Alcoholic flux is a stress-related disease that affects sweet gum, oak, elm and willow trees. It usually occurs after a period of very hot, dry weather. The disease is caused by a microorganism that ferments the sap that seeps or bleeds from cracks and wounds in the bark. The result is a white, frothy ooze that has a sweet, fermenting odor similar to beer. Alcoholic flux is sometimes called frothy flux or foamy canker because of the white ooze that looks and feels like melted marshmallows. Fortunately, this ooze only lasts for a short time in summer.

The girls and several insects really like the fermented sap that oozes from the tree. When I let them out of the run, that is sometimes the first place they often go.

Around July 12, 2015, Abigail became broody. Since I want eggs, being broody is not a desireable trait.
"Going broody" is when a hen decides she would like to hatch some of her eggs and sits on them for an extended period of time, allowing her body temperature to increase and often consuming less food and water than she would normally. For those who want their girls to hatch some fertilized eggs, this is just fine. But, for people who want eggs only for consumption, a broody hen can be a bit of a pain. Broody hens can also experience a slowdown of egg production [an understatement], especially if they hoard eggs from the other hens and feel they have a full nest.
- from MannaPro - 5 Tips for Dealing with Broody Hens

I read what someone else had done at Community Chickens - Bye Bye Broody to break their chicken of its broodiness. But the advice I found most interesting was at Backyard Chicken Keeping - Broody Hens and Raising Chicks Naturally:

Tip #1: Place the broody hen in a wire cage and hang it up in the hen house. The open wire cage bottom cools off her underside and that along with the swinging motion from the cage being hung up tends to break the broodiness.

Tip #2: Place ice cubes under her in the nest in place of eggs. Replace the ice cubes as needed as they melt.

Tip #3: Take the broody hen and dunk her underside into a bucket filled with icy cold water.

I borrowed my neighbor's dog crate and filled it with pine shavings. I put a bowl of food and water in there and then put Abigail in solitary confinement during the day. But when I got home from work, I let her and the others out but closed the coop until late in the afternoon. Then I put a blue ice block in each nesting box. So instead of sleeping in the nesting box, Abigail chose to fly up onto the roost. If she had slept in the nesting box, that would have been fine too since it would have cooled her off. After observing that she did go to roost, I removed the block before I went to bed. I didn't want to keep any of the others from laying in the nesting box in the early morning hours. I used the solitary confinement treatment on her for three days and then the ice block for one night. It worked...at least for awhile. I had to do it all again, I'd do both from the start.

What is interesting about this method of breaking a chicken of its broodiness is that you treat the symptom (high body temperature) and hope that the cause follows. I've had mixed success with this. I don't know if it is really worth going through all the effort to break a chicken of its broodiness. They come out of it on their own but it may take several weeks. And chickens that are prone to be broody end up becoming broody again, as Abigail demonstrated. It is not unhealthy for them. Fortunately, I have enough hens so that even if one or two are broody, I still get a sufficient number of eggs.

Around this time, someone laid an extremely small egg that looked more like a songbird egg. Had I not found it in the middle of the coop, I would have thought it wasn't from one of my chickens. My guess is that is is from Abigail and maybe she laid it shortly before or after becoming broody or after coming off being broody.

In early August, I noticed Abigail was sleeping in the nesting box again. But as Norma pointed out, she wasn't broody. She's not as athletic as the others and sometimes has difficulty getting to the lowest perch which is only about 14 inches from the floor. So I made a ramp just for her so she could walk to the perch. After a few days, she used it consistently and now she sleeps with the other girls.

Of all my chickens, Abigail is the most high maintenance yet she produces the fewest eggs. She is the only one of my hens in this flock who has been broody, and this has occurred several times. On June 24, 2016, I tried to cool down her body temperature to snap her out of her broodiness. I filled the drain basin of one of my rain boxes and then submerged the lower half of her body in it. Her head never got wet. The water was cool. I held her in there for about three minutes. I call this procedure water boarding. She doesn't like it but it is hardly torture. A frog swam by which she didn't notice. Around dusk, while she was still wet, I put her in the dog cage that my neighbor had loaned me. I then placed it outside the chicken run. I was hoping the sixty something degree light breeze would help drop her temperature. But I made one serious error. The dog cage has bars that are about an inch apart. For a chicken run, they say to use hardware cloth that has about half inch holes. This is to keep racoons from reaching in. They can be strong and have been known to kill chickens by pulling them through the gaps in chicken wire. Chicken wire is meant to keep chickens out of stuff...it isn't made to protect them from predators. But I had never seen a racoon in Savage and I figured my backyard privacy fence would likely deter such critters. I was wrong. At 0345, Norma and I were suddenly awoken to an agonizing scream that was louder than a rooster crowing. As soon as I heard it, I knew what the problem was. We jumped out of bed, put on our glasses, and then ran outside after Norma grabbed her headlamp. We did not see the predator but around the dog cage were several of Abigail's feathers. She had clearly been attacked. I took her out of the cage and checked for injury. I found no wounds or blood but it must have been very scary and painful for her to have feathers ripped out during the night. I put her back in the coop where she was safe. Was she still broody? Yes. But at least she was alive.

The only time I was awoken so suddenly like that was during the Gulf War when Iraqi tanks broke through the front lines and headed towards my platoon. I remember our firewatch yelling "stand to!" This was similar to someone yelling, "Man your battlestations!" In a fraction of a second, we went from being asleep to running around in high gear. In the end, the A-10 Warthog planes took out the tanks before they reached out position. We were then told to "stand down." That was what I considered to be our first taste of combat, even though we never actually engaged the enemy. The night that Abigail was attacked was reminiscent of the enemy tank front line breach.

Abigail first started being broody in 2016 around the beginning of June. She came out of it on her own on August 16, 2016. Someone laid a softshell egg and I believe it was her. What made this egg particularly special is that it had what looked like an umbilical cord attached. Do we eat softshell eggs? Yes indeed. But you should eat them quickly. They are porous and they lose their water a little each day. The longer you wait, the more it will look like a deflated water balloon. She started being broody again in September of that same year.

Abigail doesn't run like the other chickens. Norma thinks she favors one leg over the other and I think she tends to "waddle." She is the worst flyer. In the late summer and early autumn of 2016, there were times when she slept in the nesting box but wasn't broody. Why would she do this? One night when I was gathering eggs, I heard a thud. I checked the coop and she had fallen from the roost where she was perched just a minute earlier. I expect that she has a weak leg and sometimes can't roost at night.

Because Abigail is so high maintenance, Norma likes her. I guess that's because Norma has a soft heart.

On September 16, 2015, I was mowing the yard and saw a wood frog. The frog was keeping an eye on me and didn't see Abigail attacking. She caught it then ran as Edith chased her. Then she put it down and the frog started hopping away. She re-caught it and then Edith took it. Then Abigail took it back and ran off. She shook it hard and hit it against the ground to kill it. Then she ate it. I also found a box turtle that day in the yard which they left alone.

Autumn is molting season. But not until they are over a year old. When they molt, they look ugly, in my opinion. Not all of them molt but many do and not all at the same time. Around Thanksgiving, we take our Christmas photo with all the girls and Norma's cat, Asha. We always hope that they will be done molting and have their new feathers by then. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

On September 16, 2015 and for the next few weeks, the girls were confined in the run or a 15'x15' fenced-in space just outside the coop. This is because I finished my retaining wall and planted a lot of new grass...about 1000 square feet of it. So it was to help the grass get started and to protect them from eating fertilizer that I kept the girls confined. Want to know what type of grass to plant for your area and when to plant it? Check out Great Day Improvements - When to Plant Grass Seed in Your State.

As of September 18, Osprey is molting. She lost her tail and there are feathers all over the coop and run. It is amazing how small she looks now. The others haven't started yet.

In early October, Beatrice started molting. Then it was Edith. It takes about a month before they have their new feathers. When they are molting, I've heard that they should be treated extra gently and given a higher protein diet to facilitate new feather production.

On October 21, 2015, I did a thorough coop cleaning. I typically replace a lot of the pine shavings and clean the windows every 6-8 weeks but this was what I call a twice a year cleaning where I remove all the pine shavings and straw, hose and scrub things down, let things dry thoroughly, do paint touch-ups, make any repairs, etc.

Norma and I took a photo for our 2015 Christmas card with the girls and Asha (our cat). I don't think anyone was molting at that time.

On October 21, 2015, Norma got a call from a neighbor who said there was a chicken running around on Baltimore Street in her neighbors front yard. We went over and found it under a pickup truck. It went behind some bushes and Norma caught it. Since it was nighttime, that wasn't too difficult. We brought it home and put it in a dog cage with some pine shavings, food, and water. Norma and I were foster parents!

I put up several signs in the neighborhood to try and find the owner. I went around to three houses with chickens and asked if it was theirs. I also reported a found chicken on our community listserve and Norma posted a similar message along with a photo on the community Facebook page. I determined it was a Black Star hen. For now, I am calling her Bertha because she is so large and the 'B' in Bertha is alliterative with the 'B' in Black Star. I kept her in the garage mostly, but I put her cage outside for a few hours so she could get some sun and fresh air. I also wanted to see how my chickens responded to her. They were curious but Dorothy paid the most attention. Dorothy is the dominant chicken in my flock and she challenged Bertha. They pecked at each other between the bars of the cage.

On October 25, I got a call from Michael J. He said that he had gotten five or six chickens from someone he knows who is a vegetarian and raised her chickens organically. She gave them to him to eat. During the transfer, one of the chickens (Bertha) got away. The others were slaughtered. He said I can keep the chicken. She is three years old so she is past her egg laying prime. My goal then became to find a home for Bertha.

I reached out to the chicken people that participated in the Howard County Coop-to-Coop Tour back in April 2014. I quickly had two offers and later a third. One woman, Tabby, who works for the Howard County Conservancy said she could take Bertha but she was way out in Mount Pleasant near Frederick. Another woman, Julie, lived just 15 minutes away in Fulton. Julie came by on October 27 and picked up Bertha. Julie lives on three acres and has five other chickens. She also has children who gave Bertha a new name...Aang, an Airbender character. A happy ending!

Three acres is a great size piece of land. I hope to have enough land someday so I can have as many chickens as I want along with roosters. How many would I have? Probably not more than 20.
In the wild, flocks typically do not go above 20 members, and experience with domestic birds shows that a pecking order works best in flocks of fewer than 20 chickens [59].

I might then have two or three roosters since
A rooster should have about seven hens all to himself [59].

As the days get shorter, chickens typically lay less eggs. If you give them supplemental light, you can trick their bodies into laying more but I don't do that because their bodies need a rest.

In mid-November 2015, I found a dead squirrel under the coop, next to the feeder. I removed it and buried it. It was a small squirrel and I couldn't tell how it died. I'm thinking my girls ganged up on it and killed it. After seeing how Abigail ferociously took the life of the frog in my yard, I have no doubt a few chickens could kill a squirrel. The moral of the story is "Don't mess with the chickens' food."

Winter Storm Jonas brought about 29 inches of snow to our town on January 22-24, 2016. The girls hate snow. You can see in the below picture that they are very hesitant to step out onto it, even to get a treat.

Before digging out Norma and me, I dug a path to the coop. Then I cleared snow out of their run. Even though it is covered above, the winds were strong and blew snow in from the sides. The girls would not leave the coop until I removed snow. Then, only a few would leave. So I put a bowl of food in the coop. We save fat/oil and use it to provide them with extra winter calories to stay warm. I melt it and drip the grease onto their feed.

After most of the snow melted, I gave the girls their favorite treat...mealworms!


Since mid-autumn of 2015, the Easter Eggers pretty much quit laying, Then in late January 2016, they started up again. They were making up for lost time with the two of them producing at least as many eggs as the other six.

In early winter, egg production dropped to about one a day. I was not providing supplemental light or heat. With temperatures getting really cold in February 2016, I deeply contemplated providing heat via lamps but decided not to. Most folks I know do not, and there are plenty of people in colder places that also do not provide heat for their chickens. Additionally, just look at all the wild birds that don't need heat lamps. They certainly don't have body types as well suited to the cold as full sized chickens.

I spent the weekend of March 5 and 6, 2016 building tree planters...I guess that's what they're called. I used 4x6 beams to make wooden retaining walls around our fruit trees. Why am I making planters? The chickens scratch around the trees, throw mulch all over the place, and end up exposing the roots. So with the planters, I can add more dirt, create a more level area, and then put down rocks to prevent the chickens from getting to the roots.


I stained the planters using the same stuff I use for our boardwalk, fence, and deck: Olympic Maximum semi-transparent six year protection 716 Cedar Natural Tone. You can find this at Lowe's. I also ended up purchasing five tons of 1-3 inch red brown stone from the Stone Store for $89 per ton to put on these planters. Our salesman, Eric A., was extremely helpful. Between the rocks and dirt is weed control cloth. I finished the job on March 20.


On March 7, 2016, someone laid a blooper egg. I don't know who it was but it wasn't Edith or Osprey because it wasn't green.

Egg production picked up pretty fast once it got close to spring. By March 16, 2016, they were averaging six eggs a day.

In November 2016, I noticed that Rosemary looked significantly different. Many of the girls had lost feathers due to molting but with Rosemary, she was missing most of her feathers on her neck and the top of her buttocks. It looks like some of the others had been picking on her. I didn't see bare skin but all her colorful feathers were removed from these areas. She was also walking hunched over and she had lost weight. She looked more like Gwendolyn's size. I don't know why she was hunched over. It almost makes me think a raptor tried to pick her up and damaged her back in the process. I ordered something called Hot Pick from Meyer Hatchery. It is described as
A topical herbal anti-pick spray for cannibalism in poultry.
I think it is new because it is not rated. I also saw Net-Tex Anti-Feather Pecking Spray on Amazon but it would have taken a long time to ship while Meyer could ship their Hot Pick much faster. I wasn't too happy about Rosemary not being well but then my co-worker, Rod A., told me that he had just lost four chickens to what he thought was a fox. His weren't even of pullet age, while mine were two years and seven months old. So I didn't feel so bad. Still, I was very concerned about Rosemary. But then her feathers grew back quickly. Then I noticed that Dorothy was looking similar. Nobody dares pick on Dorothy since she is the dominant hen. So now I'm thinking that Rosemary was just molting.

Around Thanksgiving, Norma and I took our annual family photo to send out on Xmas cards. It is very difficult to get all eight chickens and the cat in the photo. I used to hope I could get them to look at the camera but I don't think that will ever happen.

To celebrate Thanksgiving, I took a cow's tongue from my sister-in-law's farm and diced it up into small, bite-sized pieces which I fed to the girls. That was a lot of work. In later years, I put it through a food processor.

In January 2017, my very good friend, Jenn, got me a beautiful, framed photo of Gertrude, Gwendolyn, and Edith on the steps of our deck. Gertrude is the main focus. At first I couldn't tell if it was her or Rosemary but after looking at the points on their combs, I was certain it is Gertrude. I really cherish this picture, along with Jenn's friendship. After having three flocks, I'd have to say that Gertrude is my all-time favorite. She was silly, adventurous, and clever, often making me laugh.

Also in January 2017, my friend Stacy sent me an article that describes just how smart chickens are. My summary of it is that "Chickens understand ordinality, trajectory, and delayed gratification. They also possess self-awareness, empathy, and are capable of referential communication." For the full article, see Science Daily - Think chicken: Think intelligent, caring and complex.

In late January 2017, I saw several feathers in one area of the yard and then noticed that Gertrude had bald patches. I figured it was too late for molting, and if she was being picked on, the feather loss wouldn't have been so sudden. So I concluded that a raptor had attacked her. She had no injuries that I could see and behaved normally. But we did have a few cold nights where I brought her into the house. Two weeks later, her feathers started growing back. It is amazing how fast they can recover.

As of March 5, 2017, they were laying about three eggs per day, compared with one egg per day about a month prior.

In March 2017, Norma learned that the best way to make hard boiled eggs is with a pressure cooker. The eggs taste better too...I would describe them as tasting "smoother" and they are much easier to peel.

In June 2017, I made what I call a "screen wall." I replaced the higher wall panel on the east side with a framed piece of hardware cloth. It is under the roof overhang so rain water shouldn't get in but it allows plenty of air to circulate and cool things off during the hot summer months. This was Norma's idea and like a good husband, I turned her idea into reality. By replacing the east panel instead of the west one, I avoid catching the dominant wind. This may sound counterintuitive since I want good air ciculation, but I also don't want rain water to get in. When it gets colder, I replace it with the original panel. They are held in place by threaded rods.

During summer, I open the windows to the coop fully. So they are almost horizontal. They end up catching a lot of dust. In July 2017, I noticed raccoon footprints in the dust. As of that date, we've caught and relocated three raccoons. But the one that left the footprints showed up after that. I guess this proves that my coop is predator-proof (or at least raccoon-proof).

As of July 23, 2017, we hadn't had a single day where everyone has laid an egg. About a third of the time, I have to clean up a broken egg or softshell egg. I can't say for certain that someone is breaking their own eggs but that might well be the case. I know that if encountering a broken egg, Abigail, Gertrude, and Dorothy will eat the contents. This is not good. Perhaps calcium supplements are in order to make the shells stronger but if they are intentionally breaking their own eggs, then this won't matter. By late August 2017, the girls quit breaking their own eggs. Not sure what the deal was with that but I wasn't happy.

At work, management bought Chinese food for the whole building. We had a LOT of leftover rice that they were going to throw out. I filled up ziplock bags and brought home most of the rice. I filled up the freezer and fridge until it would hold no more. Then the girls got a really big bowl full of rice for the next several mornings. Unlike the spent grain, it did not affect their eggs. I guess they can digest it and make use of the nutrients more easily than spent grain.

On September 9, 2017, I mowed the lawn. I saw a small, five-inch-long snake...but not before Gertrude saw it. She grabbed it, killed it, and then ate it. I don't know what kind of snake it was. Then I saw two skinks but the girls did not, so they lived another day. Later, Gertrude ate a cicada.

On September 10, 2017, Norma and I went kayaking. On the way home, I saw the property of a like-minded person who loves their country and chickens. Rather than placing a bald eagle at the top of their flagpole as a finial, they put a chicken sculture. A little patriotic humor.

That same evening, we set up our new Marmot Limelight 3 tent in the backyard to test it out. The girls watched. I like this shot of them because unlike most of their group photos, this captures more faces than feathery butts.

Norma and I noticed that very often, the girls wipe their beaks on things, in the same way that I would if I was eating and didn't have hands to hold a napkin. It turns out this is called feaking.
Avian beaks or bills are made of keratin, the same material that forms human hair and fingernails. In most birds, this keratin layer grows continuously throughout life and is worn down by normal activity.
Raptors' beaks are worn down by the tough scales, feathers, bones and fur of the prey they eat. Feaking, rubbing the beak clean on stones, branches or other hard surfaces after eating, removes the blood and other debris from the beak as well as "trimming" the beak.
- from The Nature Niche - Feaking

On October 1, 2017, I noticed that Gwendolyn was hunched over. She wasn't acting like herself. I picked her up and noticed that the area just below her vent was bloody. She had a large open sore about two inches long and one inch wide. It smelled like rotting flesh and was full of maggots. Norma and I took her inside and cleaned her up at the basement deep sink. We soaked her in warm, soapy water. Then we removed some loose, bloody feathers and cut away a few more around the wound. We poured hydrogen peroxide on the wound and proceeded to remove the maggots. There were literally a hundred or more. It took two hours. Then I laid out pine shavings in the basement shower and put her there with some food and water. A few hours later, we removed a few more maggots and then cleaned the wound with rubbing alcohol. We bought a generic version of Neosporin (which I will refer to as antiseptic cream) and used that to cover the wound. Gwendolyn didn't appear to be in pain but she was very weak. What was the problem? Flystrike. For a description of this, read The Art of Doing Stuff - Flystrike: a chicken killer and Backyard Chickens - Poultry Fly Strike. Why Gwendolyn? She probably had feces that stuck to her feathers which flies then laid eggs in. Some chickens are just more prone to having feces stick to their butt. I don't check my chickens closely on a regular basis though I do make sure they make it into the coop every night. She was strong enough to jump onto the roost. Beyond that, I hadn't noticed anything special about her until today.

By October 7, 2017, Gwendolyn was making significant progress. Every day, we have been inspecting her for maggots, cleaning the wound, and applying more antiseptic cream. She has been separated from the flock and stayed that way for the next few days. Chickens can be cruel in that they will pick on a weak chicken. To clean the wound, at first we were using hydrogen peroxide with a syringe. After three days of that, we switched to saline. Then she got blow dried before we applied the antiseptic cream. I also gave her a homeopathic antibiotic. I would have preferred giving her something stronger but as of 2017, a law was passed that requires oral antibiotics for animals to be prescribed by a veterinarian. We also bought Alushield Bandage which I expect we will use after she is re-introduced back into the flock. Gwendolyn is the runt of the flock and sometimes she gets picked on. I wonder if one of the other chickens created a cut that made it easier for the maggots to take hold. We have Hot Pick which we can use to help prevent this.

We don't normally bring chickens into the house but for Gwendolyn, we made an exception on October 4, 2017.

We keep our girls away from our garden because we don't want them eating the vegetables we grow for human consumption. But in the below photo, she is in my sister-in-law's garden so I don't mind (ha, ha). Here, Gwendolyn is behaving naturally. She is walking around, eating, and looking for bugs. If it wasn't for her wound, you'd think she was perfectly normal.

As of October 14, 2017, it has been two weeks since we first found Gwendolyn a victim of flystrike. After daily cleaning, isolation from the flock, topical antibiotics, and and oral antibiotic, she got sent back with her sisters to sleep in the coop. She's far from being fully healed but I maybe she'll be able to go back to living a normal life.

On October 20, 2017, I did a major coop cleaning. This is something I do twice a year. It takes most of the day.

On November 10, 2017, we did our annual Xmas photo shoot with the girls. Our neighbor, Samantha, took the photo. We couldn't think of anyplace in the backyard with nice scenery that we haven't already used in previous photos so instead, we took pictures in the front yard. This was very difficult. The chickens had not been there before and some didn't want to go. When I finally got them all in the front, they wanted to hide in the bushes. Normally, I whistle and they come. But that day, our new neighbor was doing a lot of construction on his house so he had a big truck that was backing up a lot and beeping loudly. The beeping drowned out my whistling. In the front is Dorothy who isn't looking so good because she is molting.

During our photo shoot, I saw a kestrel in a tree in our front yard. It was watching the chickens. But kestrels are no bigger than my girls so I wasn't worried about it eating one. That was the first time I ever saw a kestrel in the wild. The males are beautiful.

On November 19, 2017, I noticed Gwendolyn behaving differently. Her wound looked fine. She still didn't have feathers growing where the maggots had eaten away, but otherwise, her skin looked fine. I noticed she wasn't able to get up on (or stay on) the perch that night. She was breathing through her mouth.

By November 20, 2017, it had been one month since we've gotten any eggs from the girls. I knew this day would come. Yes, the days are short so they are laying less but I have said I would only keep them around as long as they produced enough eggs so we didn't have to buy them. Are they pets? Well, they are more pet-like than my in-law's cattle or goats, but they do not have the status of Asha, our cat. Yes, my girls have names but so do my in-law's cattle and goats. It really comes down to, "Why do I have chickens?" The answer is simple. It is for the eggs. That is not to say that I think of them as laying machines. On the contrary. My view is that if you are going to keep animals, they should be given the opportunity to live a good life. My girls have lived a far better life than they would have had on most farms. They've had the whole run of the backyard (except Norma's garden) almost every day for most of their lives. They've been able to walk around, eat plants, look for bugs, scratch, peck, take dust baths, and do what chickens do normally. They are over 3.5 years old which is older than they would live to be on most farms. Egg production generally drops off after 2.5 years.

I've given lots of thought into what to do with my chickens once their egg production drops. If I decided to slaughter them, I would do whatever I could to ensure their death was as quick and painless as possible. Some might find it heartless, insensitive, or cruel to kill an animal that one has raised nearly from birth. But if we're talking about animals that we keep for food, then it should be thought of as the circle of life. Anyone who can't accept that should consider being a vegan. For anyone that eats animals or animal products (e.g. eggs), unnatural death is something we accept. The important thing is to ensure that the animals we eat are given a good life and treated humanely while they are alive.

On November 21, 2017, Gwendolyn appeared too weak to walk up or down the ramp into the coop. I put her in the nesting box at night and in the morning, she stood at the entrance of the coop. I picked her up and put her below the coop where she could get food and water. I didn't see the others picking on her. They just seemed to ignore her.

The next day, I noticed that Gwendolyn felt bloated. Norma went to Southern States to buy medicine. But by the time she returned, Gwendolyn had expired. She lived to a little over 3 years and 7 months. She survived a hawk attack and flystrike. But I don't think she ever fully recovered from the flystrike. She lived longer than egg laying chickens on commercial farms.
Commercial egg producers cull layers (called battery hens) when they're one to three years old.
- from What is the Life Expectancy of a Laying Hen?

On November 23, 2017, I buried Gwendolyn at the west end of our property near the fence line on the north side. Rest in peace Gwendolyn.

As of January 20, 2018, the egg drought is over. The easter eggers are laying. This is the first time I've gotten an egg from any of the girls since October 20, 2017. That's three months with no eggs. January 20, 2018 is also the day we adopted Daphne.

On February 21, 2018, Norma and I spent much of the day working in the yard. We saw a piece of wing on the ground. Norma commented that it looked like Gwendolyn. Recall that Gwendolyn was the runt of my chicken litter who died on November 22, 2017. I buried her the next day. But something dug her up. I expect Daphne carried her wing closer to the house. I re-buried Gwendolyn...what I could find of her.

As of February 25, 2018, at least one of the non-Easter Eggers is laying. Their eggs are very distinctive so I know if it isn't theirs.

How does Daphne get along with the chickens? Not as good as we had hoped. Sometimes she chases them. I suspect she sees them as play things. I don't think she's ever intentionally hurt any but one day she was carrying Abigail by the neck and she drew some blood. We punish her when she chases the girls, but she can be a slow learner. She doesn't chase the chickens unless they run from her. One day she was chasing Dorothy and then Dorothy just squatted down. Daphne looked confused and didn't know what to do. It reminded me of when I was sparring someone in jujitsu class who went into the turtle position, which I had never seen up to that point.

I don't spend nearly as much time with the girls as I used to. I really should make more time for that. Daphne has become the priority. But on February 28, 2018, I demonstrated that at least Dorothy and Gertrude will perch on my arm if given the right incentive (meal worms).

On April 21, 2018, Norma and I had a few friends over to show off the chickens (old and new) and Daphne. It was both a "welcome aboard" event for the new chicks as well as a "farewell" for the old ones who will soon be leaving. They are now laying an average of three or four eggs per day!

The next day, Norma took the last photo of all the remaining girls on our property.

I don't quite trust Daphne with them yet...at least not alone. As long and Norma and I are out watching, we don't mind her being near them. I expect she will eventually grow to ignore them once the novelty wears off.

On April 23, 2018, the old chickens, now over four years old, were sent to a retirement farm where they could spend their remaining days on a farm with other chickens. Zoning laws limit the number of chickens I can have in the yard. At four years old, their egg production is declining so it is time to make room for new chickens.

Norma and I caught Edith and Rosemary the previous night while they were roosting. They are the least tame and quite fast. It would have been very difficult to catch them during the day.

A young engineering student by the name of Maddie came to transport the chickens to her grandmother's house. She is a friend of Sara's daughter. Her grandparents live on an eight acre farm in Davidsonville. Maddie told them about the diverse breeds of my chickens and how friendly they are. Her grandmother felt they would be an asset at large family gatherings attended by many curious children. They do not eat their chickens. They currently have 11 along with a dog that protects them from predators.

I gave Maddie a chicken calendar I made a couple years ago that has 12"x12" photos of each chicken along with their name and breed. Then I wrote up a description for each chicken and taped it onto the calendar below the respective photos. Maddie is really good with chickens. Here she is holding Gertrude, who fell asleep in her arms. Gertrude was the last to be boxed up.

Could I have really slaughtered my own chickens? Maybe...but not Dorothy and Gertrude. Still, for the others, it would have been very difficult. Looking back, I'm glad that I did not. I think one needs to be much more emotionally distant from an animal if they intend to use it as food or kill it.

It was a bittersweet day. I am sad to see them go. The backyard seems too quiet now. But I am very happy that they are living in a good place. It all worked out for the best! Here they are in their new home.

As of May 5, 2018, the girls are doing fine at Maddie's grandmother's farm. They started letting them out of the run and they know where to return. They spend time roaming through the farm and the neighboring farm. Dorothy, who was formerly my alpha, challenged Benedict, who is the alpha hen at the farm.

It sounds like Benedict is still in charge. But now Gertrude is shooting for the title of alpha. Osprey gets along with everyone.

Norma and I are hoping to get invited over and pay the girls a visit sometime in the future.

On July 7, 2018, Maddie texted me to inform me that Abigail was taken by a fox. Her dogs took off for the chicken coop but by the time they got there, the fox and chickens (two of them) were gone. Abigail was Maddie's favorite as she walked back up to the house with her every morning and then met her at the gate at night. All the other chickens are safe. She will alter how the run is built. Abigail lived 4.25 years. She will be missed.