My Growing Flock of Chickens
I have some new feathered friends here at my Bedford, New York farm.
I’ve been raising chickens for many years. Not only do I love keeping them for their fresh, delicious eggs, but I also enjoy learning about the different breeds and varieties. As part of good animal husbandry practices, and in order to maintain strong egg laying production, it’s very important to regenerate the chicken population from time to time. Not long ago, I attended the 2022 Northeastern Poultry Congress, a large poultry show held every year in Springfield, Massachusetts. While there, I purchased 18 chickens including Golden Speckled Hamburgs, Old English Game hens, Blue Laced Wyandottes, a Buff Cochin, and four Buff Silkie Bantam chicks. I also brought home 46 Silkie eggs, which will soon hatch right here at the farm. All these birds will be great additions to my flock.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Hard to resist any chick, but the Silkie Bantam is among the most popular. Can you make out my four Silkie chicks? Silkies are loved for their hair-like plumage and incredibly sweet temperaments. I have them in my antique bird cage located in my stable feed room, where it is warm and safe.
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- Silkies were originally bred in China. Underneath all that feathering, they have black skin and bones and five toes instead of the typical four on each foot.
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- Silkies are naturally more calm than most other breeds, and tend to be very friendly without any special effort to be tamed.
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- Silkies also have bright turquoise earlobes – another unique characteristic of the breed. Their beak is short, quite broad at the base, and is gray or blue in color. And, although it is hard to see, the Silkie’s eyes are also black.
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- Starter feed is a protein dense variety of chicken feed designed to meet a chick’s dietary requirements. Chicks remain on starter feed for the first six weeks and then progress to grower feed.
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- There is always plenty of food and lots of fresh water for these youngsters – everything is replenished or changed whenever needed.
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- They also get fresh leafy greens straight from my indoor greenhouse.
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- I wonder what their conversations are like. In general, chickens are quite vocal. They make around 30 different calls to communicate with each other, expressing everything from “I am hungry” to “there’s a predator nearby.”
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- On the other side of the stable feed room is my incubator from GQF Manufacturing, Inc. in Savannah, Georgia – a company that specializes in game bird and poultry supplies. Here, I have 46 Silkie eggs.
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- Chicken eggs take 21-days. While the eggs incubate, they are automatically turned once a day, 45-degrees each way, back and forth during this period.
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- Once the chickens are old enough, they are moved down to the first coop in the chicken yard to join the others.
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- The youngest chickens stay together in one section until all are acclimated.
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- Female chickens are called pullets for their first year, or until they begin to lay eggs. For most breeds, chickens generally start laying eggs around four or five months of age.
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- Dawa checks every nesting box daily for eggs. They are brought up every afternoon – beautiful fresh, organic, and delicious eggs.
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- And look at this giant hen – I love its golden buff color.
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- And look above – these chickens love to roost in the rafters of their enclosure.
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- All my chickens have clear eyes, shiny feathers, and are always very alert – signs of good health in the coop. This Silver-Laced Wyandotte hen on the left arrived here last October as a day-old chick. It’s grown so beautifully.
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- Food is also provided in the coops. The hanging feeders are filled with organic layer feed. It provides the hens with protein, which helps them lay strong and healthy eggs. These feeders are positioned at just the right height for easy, comfortable access.
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- The water is replenished several times a day. In the reflection, one can see the protective fencing above. It covers the entire chicken yard to protect my flock from flying predators such as hawks and falcons.
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- I’ve raised many different chicken breeds and varieties over the years – they are all so beautiful to observe. I am fascinated by their many colors and feather patterns. A bar in front of the nesting boxes serves as a nice perch. When laying, hens appreciate privacy – my coops are open all day, so the hens could go inside to their nesting boxes to lay their eggs.
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- My chickens have access to the yards via a ramp on the side of the coop as well as sliding doors on both ends, but they prefer to go up and down their custom made ramps.
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- By sunset, all the chickens are in their designated coops. I have a total of four. They stay safe inside until they are all let out again at 6am the next morning.
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