Eight Maybe Enough

The original four Araucans were nice, but it just didn’t seem like enough. I have all this space and this big new coup that can fit 12 nesting boxes. Why not at least bump it up a notch.

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Thursday (June 9, 2011) afternoon I put in a call to Kathy – owner of Boling Bunny Farm, “Kathy, I need more chickens.” Kathy doesn’t really deal in chickens, but she was going to be at an animal market the next day picking up some chickens for herself. Since I was a “good bunny customer,” she agreed to pick up some chickens for me too.

Sunday morning I drove out to her farm and waiting for me there was two Buff Orpingtons and two Ameraucanas hens. Kathy had hand picked out the hens for me and even gave me a brief explanation about what went into her discussion making.

After chatting about chickens and rabbits for a bit I loaded up my new hens and hit the road back to the city.

Upon arriving at 3F (read Triple F – what I am calling my Urban Farm), I set the new hens loose in the coup. The Ameraucanas ran around finding their place and squaking with the Auracans. The Orpingtons went in and immediately set up shop in the temporary nesting boxes. I left the chickens to get acquainted and to head up to the studio for a recording session.

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At 5:30pm I returned to feed the rabbits and chickens. Low and behold, laying in one of the nesting boxes, was the first egg. Seems one of the Orpingtons was ready to get down to business. She has produced an egg a day since.

I am still waiting on the rest of the hens to mature and start producing. In theory the Araucans should be of age this week and blue/green eggs should be coming soon.

There is still a bit of work left to be done on the coup. The weekend after next I will be building the 12 permanent nesting boxes and installing them. Following that will be the doors and flaps needed for winter. While winter is a long way off, no time like the present.

Rabbit update next week.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]