19 Laying Hens

Yesterday, while my best friend and I painted the Nursery upstairs, Tool Lady worked on fixing up the coop.  There was chicken wire and bird netting to be replaced, shade cloth to put up and a new structure to hold up the shade cloth and bird netting so we can actually walk in the coop without ducking.

Once all that was done, it was time to let the Newbies into the big coop.  Because the brooder lives next to the coop, all of the Ladies have had lots of time to get to know each other without actually being in each others space.

Just like last year, all it took to introduce them was to pull off the chicken wire on both the coop and the brooder to create a little pathway and then flush the Newbies into the coop.  They were a bit scared, but they did very well at falling in with the Ladies.  One of the older Buffs chased them around a bit and pecked at a few them a couple of times, but once she put them in their place, she calmed down and so did they.

The Newbies did not make their way up into the coop to sleep overnight (they slept under the coop instead where the food is kept), so we'll keep an eye on them tonight and tomorrow to make sure they are making their way up the ramp and onto the roost.

So, what are our totals now that they Newbies have been incorporated in the coop?

• Four Ameraucanas - born Spring 2010
• Two Ameraucanas - born Spring 2011
• Three Buff Orpingtons, two Black Australorps, three Ameraucanas - born Spring 2012
• Five Buff Orpingtons - born Spring 2013

19 happy, healthy laying hens, 14 of which are currently giving us the most delicious eggs I've ever had the pleasure of eating!

xoxo,

M

Linking up to Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #74

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