the new chicks

 Remember the broody hen that we had back in September?  She successfully hatched her clutch.  Three girls and three boys.  Just what I need, more roosters!  I don’t know if she had kicked them all from the nesting box or if they fell out, but when I went in the coop that morning, they were all on the floor.  Cold.  

So, I brought them all inside to warm up a bit and take a few pictures like I always do.  Some one was photogenic that day.

Here they are now.  The only recent pictures I could find was of them in the snow.  We ended up buying 6 more chicks from the feed store the week after they hatched just in case we lost any.  Which we did.  One of the roosters got a cold.  Then we gave one of the other roosters away to a friend, leaving us with one rooster and nine hens.  I am still looking for a home for the roo, interested?

One broody chick

In an effort to find the soft shell egg culprit, every 30-45 minutes or so, I pop my head into the coop to see what’s happening.  Take a mental note, then head inside to jot it down {because after a while I will forget}.

Around 8 am, I was letting the chickens out, did a head count.

Hamm…Check…

Big Momma….Check…

Lil’ Red…Check…

Birdie….Check…

Carrot….Carrot…No Carrot…

Lil’ Comb….Nope, she’s missing too.

The two missing ladies, are nesting.  Awww,  how cute.  Until Lil’ Comb lets out the worst blood curdling screech I have ever heard.  WOW! Someone is not a morning bird.

Nope, I take that back, the worst screech growl came from the nesting box next door.  Carrot opened her mouth and screeched again.  Oh, my! I guess somebody needs some coffee in the morning!  Geesh!  So, I turned and left them in peace.  They were none to keen on me invade their…um…quite time.

The bright side, they didn’t lay any soft eggs.  And we haven’t had one yet today.  Woo-hoo!

What to do when hens lay soft-shell eggs

We have gotten six eggs now that have been soft shell.  this just will not do.  The problem is I don’t know which one of the girls are laying these oh so fragile eggs.  Well, they need more calcium in their diet.  We all do, right?  So, what’s a girl  to do?

I can begin giving them crushed oyster shells.  Check – already did that, they just eat around it.

Maybe grapes will do the trick.  They LOVE grapes.  They remind me of that little bird that goes cuckoo for coco puffs.  They go nuts!

Perhaps I should dig up some of the earthworms from the compost.

Next time I buy me some yogurt, I guess I should buy an extra tub for the chickens.  I wonder if they would prefer plain or Greek, Yoplait or Oikos?

Who knew chickens would (and could) eat cheese?  It makes some since I suppose.  They can also eat spinach, corn tortillas, cinnamon and basil.  They can also eat cabbage.  Apparently I bought some picky chickens, because mine turn their beak up at cabbage.

I guess I should go to the grocery store.  I am all out of yogurt and cheese.  Now that I think of it…I am out of a whole lot of that stuff.