The Chickens

We have two large coops, both of which have outdoor space and nesting areas.  There are also two breeding pens, and three cages (small, medium and large) for the baby chicks.  We used to let them stay with the flock, but the term “pecking order” really does refer to pecking.  In the case of a large, ornery hen versus a baby chick, one of them is going to get its head pecked off – literally. 



Once we’ve got plenty of chicks, the roosters are taken away from the flock and rotated in the breeding pens throughout the summer and fall.  Without the roosters chasing them around, the hens finally get to earn their keep.  Their eggs can be one of several colors, depending on the breed of the chicken.  We have white, brown, and blue eggs here on our ranch.  We’re just so diverse like that.

The eggs can also range in size from large to itsy-bitsy.  Typically, your first year hens are going to lay about 20 dozen small to medium sized eggs.  Your more mature hens are going to lay fewer per year, about 16 dozen, but they are larger eggs.  We cull the flock each fall and keep the good producers through the winter, when they don’t lay at all because there are less than 14 hours of daylight. 

As you might imagine, we usually eat a boatload of eggs.  This year, with Blythe being allergic, we’ll probably be selling the majority of them.  We don’t, however, eat our own chickens because that is just too much work.  Dirty work, at that.  We have enough people interested in buying our chickens so that I can go buy some boneless, skinless breasts at the store, no plucking or neck wringing involved.