So I thought chickens would be super simple & for the most part they are. However everyone has different advice about what to feed them. Some say - "Oh no problem chickens will eat any food scraps you give them."
Then others are more particular - "Rinse the lettuce first and you must soak the stale bread, make a soup for them & they will like it better." (Note: These are the same people that literally boil pasta for their dog with extra virgin olive oil & toasty bread)
And of course there is the hardware-store that says their organic feed is just enough & balanced perfectly.
So it seems even feeding them is confusing especially when we want nice bright yolks for making pasta. But they have started eating everything - even dry crunchy stale bread and they are loving the cherries!
Our coop is fantastic (read all about building it) but the 12 fowl (chickens & roosters) are bigger now & ready to explore which is something we have been nervous about as there are many predators out here just licking their chops for a bite of our tasty chickens - well get in line, so are we! Their house is located in semi-dense brush & woods so a fox can easily wait to make its move. Determined to have happy free-range chickens I started wrangling them! (I have taken on the chickens as Jason has soooo many other projects around the farm). I have no clue what I'm doing as I've never had chickens before. I started letting them out of the coop & herding them about the yard with a long stick training them to stay out of the deep brush. The hysterical part is they follow me for the most part - there's always one that goes rogue! It doesn't hurt that I try to do a little chicken-chat with them - brrrrkaaaa!
You may laugh, but its working!
They now know where their "area" is & come flapping & running to the door of their coop in the early morning as I coo "Buon giorno, ciao my chickies, come va?!" they eager to explore & start pecking about. Then in the early afternoon they head back in themselves! They have since doubled in size PLUS we found our first 3 eggs! Granted 2 of the 3 were too soft but still - they are starting! Chicken 'experts' say they are still abit young to produce everyday & the soft shell is normal. Since the first laying we have yet to see another but those yolks - dark bright yellow/red are pasta perfect!!
Thankfully they showed a little love and have received a stay of execution as Jason proclaimed (sounding a bit like my Grandpa) "If they don't start laying soon they'll be soup!"
Looking good my little chick-a-dees, looking good! Keep it up!
And of course there is the hardware-store that says their organic feed is just enough & balanced perfectly.
So it seems even feeding them is confusing especially when we want nice bright yolks for making pasta. But they have started eating everything - even dry crunchy stale bread and they are loving the cherries!
Our coop is fantastic (read all about building it) but the 12 fowl (chickens & roosters) are bigger now & ready to explore which is something we have been nervous about as there are many predators out here just licking their chops for a bite of our tasty chickens - well get in line, so are we! Their house is located in semi-dense brush & woods so a fox can easily wait to make its move. Determined to have happy free-range chickens I started wrangling them! (I have taken on the chickens as Jason has soooo many other projects around the farm). I have no clue what I'm doing as I've never had chickens before. I started letting them out of the coop & herding them about the yard with a long stick training them to stay out of the deep brush. The hysterical part is they follow me for the most part - there's always one that goes rogue! It doesn't hurt that I try to do a little chicken-chat with them - brrrrkaaaa!
You may laugh, but its working!
They now know where their "area" is & come flapping & running to the door of their coop in the early morning as I coo "Buon giorno, ciao my chickies, come va?!" they eager to explore & start pecking about. Then in the early afternoon they head back in themselves! They have since doubled in size PLUS we found our first 3 eggs! Granted 2 of the 3 were too soft but still - they are starting! Chicken 'experts' say they are still abit young to produce everyday & the soft shell is normal. Since the first laying we have yet to see another but those yolks - dark bright yellow/red are pasta perfect!!
Thankfully they showed a little love and have received a stay of execution as Jason proclaimed (sounding a bit like my Grandpa) "If they don't start laying soon they'll be soup!"Looking good my little chick-a-dees, looking good! Keep it up!
Your great big smile says it all! Is there a better day ever than the one on which you find that first egg??! Complimenti on training your chickens - I didn't know it could be done. Happy henning...
ReplyDeleteYou are too funny! Have you named each one of them? They like to be called by their very own personal names, you know! Congrats on training them to RETURN to the henhouse. That is a major achievement. Looking forward to eating those yeller aggs!
ReplyDeleteSo funny. Julie says you are the best writer ever it is like we are there. Can't wait to see both of you and of course the chickens.
ReplyDeleteWill
I love your chicken tales... they are so charming and make me want to visit and meet them.... and eat those new eggs!
ReplyDelete