Happy Hens!
Click on photo to enlarge
This weekend was devoted to the chicken yard. We ran a course of 5' wire fencing around the inside of the 4' picket fence which should keep the young hens in the yard now. The old hens never jumped the fence (not since they were youngin's anyway) but a few of our current youngsters are still full of spit & vinegar!
A little snow removal and a couple of fresh bales of alfalfa on the muddy ground make for some happy hens, and when the hens are happy I'm happy. It's these simple things in life that I enjoy the most. Just knowing that a few good hens peck & scratch contentedly in our yard is a comfort.
Labels: chickens, food production, sustainable living
posted by Jim at 1:21 PM
10 Comments:
they do look nice and happy, nice to have really fresh eggs, do they pick through and eat the alfalfa?
OOohh, you're bringing all my fowl fantasies to the fore! Happy hens indeed!
wonderful post and photo! The alfalfa smells so great, too. We used to put it down in the pigeon coop and they loved it.
I know what you mean about the simple things -- it is so true.
"...when the hens are happy I'm happy. It's these simple things in life that I enjoy the most."
And just hearing that makes me happy!
Missed you, Jim - glad to see you've been outside enjoying the spring!
So beautiful your chickens, principally the black one!
any books or web sites you could
recommend on keeping hens?
Thanks all!
clairesgarden-
Yes, they seem to like the alfalfa quite a bit.
k-
I like 'The Chicken Health Handbook' by Gail Damerow, the 'Chicken Tractor' by Andy Lee & Pat Foreman, and 'Raising Poultry Successfully' by Will Graves.
dpr-
They go in the raccoon-proof coop at night where I have a light I can use to encourage more egg production during the shorter days of the year, but I haven't used it in about 8 years. I wasn't comfortable in forcing the hens to lay during cycles of the year when they wouldn't naturally lay. Since we got the Black Australorps that seems to be a moot point though, because they laid reliably all winter. I collected 9 lovely brown eggs on the shortest day of the year, and coincidently, we have 9 Black Australorps. In contrast, our two White Leghorns laid very few of their huge white eggs during the shorter days, maybe one a week from each hen.
they look quite happy!
Hi Jim,
I just happened upon your blog while looking for Australorp hens. Yours are gorgeous, and the blog is terrific. I live in urban, unincorporated LA; am strongly considering getting 2 Australorps but want to find a local source and make sure they're hens. Also want to get the fence height right to avoid any problems. Any insights/suggestions?
Thanks so much,
-Tracy
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