Keeping chickens

Three new chickens join the flock

July 10, 2010
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didn’t think I’d be writing this again quite so soon, but we’ve added three new chickens to our flock. Another three Rhode Rangers, which have proved such a success for us. Poor things are out there now getting pecked as the flock of eight establishes itself a new pecking order.

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We build the chickens a climbing frame

July 8, 2010
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The chickens have been laying so well that we decided to give them a treat by building a new, higher perch in their compound so they can see further down the garden.

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Even our chickens are self-sufficient now

July 3, 2010
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The chickens are more than paying their way now. We haven’t paid for chicken food out of our own pockets for a couple of months, which is another small step down the road to self-sufficiency.

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Margot the bow-legged chicken

June 21, 2010
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One of our chickens is laying double yolked eggs every day. It’s great for breakfast, but we worry about her health and how much longer she’ll be able to carry on laying eggs at that rate.

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Barbara chicken falls off her perch

May 14, 2010

Poor Barbara, one of our first chickens, has died. She went downhill over the course of a few weeks, and when the end came she simply fell over and didn’t get up. She did look peaceful, though, and we’re sure she didn’t suffer.

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Is our chicken sunburned?

May 5, 2010
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It looks like one of our chickens has been spending far too much time out in the sun and now she has gone and burnt her comb, silly girl.

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A monster month for eggs

May 3, 2010
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We are now getting so many eggs a day from our five hens that we can’t eat them quickly enough. Pretty soon we’re going to have to put a for sale sign on the gate post.

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Barbara chicken’s dirty bum

April 17, 2010
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One of our chickens started moulting, and getting her faeces matted in what remained of her rear feathers. Much though we wished it wasn’t, it soon became clear we’d have to intervene.

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Your chicken-keeping questions answered

March 26, 2010

Starting out with chickens can be a confusing business – we know from when we did it ourselves. That’s why we’re always happy to answer first-timers’ questions. Here are three questions from this week’s mailbox.

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A rude awakening for one of our chickens

March 20, 2010
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A small egg in the next suggests that one of our new chickens may have laid its first. But has it? And if so, which one? This does seem remarkably early considering their age.

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