Ruling the Roost

I am finally starting to feel better. Jordan and I went out to Quilcene, WA a few weeks ago to go shrimping and as a result I came down with bronchittus. I am finally over it, and as such I have not had the time to do any gardening or yard work that needs taken care of.

I am proud to say that we now officially have 3 chickens! They have been named Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather (of course after the three good faireis in sleeping beauty). I opted for three differet breeds of hen.

The first hen Merryweather is the Rhode Island Red (RED ARROW). I really wanted a Rhode Island becuase they are above average layers. If well kept, they can lay well over 200 eggs per year! So far we have had her for just shy of two weeks, and I have gotten 9 eggs from her. As far as personality goes she is the loudest one. Every time someone approaches the coop, she has to announce herself by making small clucks and a couple whines. Overall, this is the extent of the niose coming from the coop. The two other chickens don't have much to say. In Sleeping Beauty, Merryweather always tells the other fairies what is on her mind, so I felt the name was more than appropriate.

Flora the Ameraucana ( On left with PURPLE arrow), Merryweather
the Rhode Ilsand Red (on the right with RED arrow).

The next hen would be Flora the Ameraucana (PURPLE ARROW). I had considered an Ameraucana but was on the fence until I saw her. She has beautiful black/dark bronze feathers on her body, and gold feathers on her neck. She is a big girl and pretty. She is pretty quiet and indipendent, mostly keeping to herself. She makes no noise and is content to mind her own business. Ameaucanas lay "easter eggs" or blue eggs. I got my first of these blue eggs this afternoon. They are not royal blue, but more of a pastel sage or periwinkle. Her eggs are only about three quarters of the size of the other girls. I may need to look into adding something to her diet.

Lastly is Fauna, the Turken (also known as naked neck) (YELLOW ARROW). And, if you didn't infer it from the name, she has no feathers on her neck. I first saw this breed at one of our friends farms, at that moment I decided I had to have one. Turkens are not actually a cross between a chicken and a turkey, they just happen to look a lot like one. From what I have read online, they are immune to most diseases and are decent layers in the winter. I thought it important to get a breed that could be a steady layer in the cold. We get enough cold weather in the Northwest and I wanted to ensure year round egg production. I had to go with the name Fauna for this hen because she is such an airhead. With the 'hairless neck' and the brainless personality, I thought it was a perfect fit.

Fuana the Turken (on the right with YELLOW arrow)

New Daily Chores...


I must admit, I really was not expecting the time investment that they have become. I was really only anticipating 5 minutes every day to feed, water, and move the coop... but I underestimated. Each day I probably invest 20 minutes into the chickens. I feed twice daily, once in the morning before work (5am) and once more right when I get home from work (5pm)... Also, when I get home in the afternoon we move the coop for some fresh pecking ground, I wash the water trough (which has grass and chicken shit in it) and fill it with fresh water. I scoop the piles of poop out of the hen house, and replace the pine shavings as necessary. I then hose down the grass where the coop was previously to dilute the poo as much as possible... to attempt to save the grass.  Then finally after we eat dinner, all left over vegetable and bread scraps go out to the chickens.

 So far.. so good.  I think that given some time and some more learning and a few adjustments, we might have more eggs than we know what to do with.