Just keeping you all updated on my little chicken farm. I have been out of town a lot this summer, and every time I come home after a week it looks like both my kids and my chickens are so much bigger!
Just to let you know about this picture of all of them looking like that – We set them on a perch and I started taking pictures for this post. My two youngest kids starting singing and dancing “Gangnam-style” and the chickens were intrigued. They all looked at my kids at the same time with that look for almost a minute straight..it was so funny! Even chickens like “Gangnam-style” I guess.
The chickens are now 14-15 weeks old. They are getting in the most beautiful feathers, but we still don’t have fresh eggs as of yet. Most chickens start laying anywhere between 4 1/2 to 5 months, and since my oldest are 3 and a half months that leaves about another month or so. I can’t wait for those fresh eggs!
The chickens are out in the chicken coop full time, and they do really well. I am using the chicken nipple watering system and it has saved me tons of time.
I haven’t posted the coop design yet because there are just two little finishing touches I want to get done first before I share the whole thing. I know, I know! I need to just hurry up and post the blasted coop..but I want it to be all perfect and lovely first. It’s the perfectionist in me…
Here are the things I have discovered about chickens and how they have changed as they are getting bigger.
#1 – Even though we raised these chickens since they were chicks and have held them almost everyday, now that they are bigger they would prefer NOT to be held by any of us. This still doesn’t stop my kids from chasing them down individually every single day. 😉
#2 – A few of them have become a little more noisy. They are talking to us, telling us hello or asking us for treats.
#3 – This week I started giving them a little bit of chicken scratch every day as a treat. They LOVE scratch. Plus I would like to start getting them a little more used to it, so I will be adding a little bit to their feed from now on as well.
Pictures of the chickens at 3 months old.
For those of you who have chickens too, how have your chickens been doing? Got any great tips to share for keeping your chickens healthy and cool in the summertime?
You might also be interested in these other posts about Chickens & Homesteading:
- DIY Chicken Nipple Watering System using a plastic bucket
- How to Raise Baby Chicks
- Growing potatoes in a Garbage Can
They are soooo cute together! Great pic!
Thanks Trish!
We went on vacation and while we were gone an animal (we assume a dog) pulled part of our chicken run wire out enough that our six smaller chickens got out and were eaten 🙁 My kiddos feel the pain your family went through when you lost your chickens. Luckily we still have a few left.
Oh no!!! That is horrible J, I am so very very sorry. I can’t imagine losing so many at once. 🙁
Friends run a cord and keep fans oscillating during the heat of the day. Ice in water and they still lost chickens to heat last year.. Wasn’t even as hot as it is supposed to be Tuesday. Good luck!
Yikes! That is kind of scary, I hope I don’t lose any with that horrible heat next week. I will have to spray them down with water or something…
We have used fans and that helps. They just cannot run out of water! Shade is wonderful if you have it! I just read and have been using this new-to-me method-freeze empty plastic water bottles and then place in hen house. It drops the temp and they can even sit next to them if they are extremely hot! We had 17 last year and did not lose one to heat and last July was NASTY! Good luck to all:)
They are so cute! My chick(en)s are almost three months old (all Rhode Island Reds). They have been doing really well, even with temps in the high eighties. I make sure to keep their water filled and it helps that their coop is in an area with shade by late afternoon. Some commenters mentioned a frozen water bottle, which I may do if we get into the nineties later this summer. Glad to hear your birds are doing so well; looking forward to seeing your finished coop!
Thanks Lisa! Rhode Island Reds are so pretty, I am going to have to get one of those next time.
I am looking for a few 3 month old blue splash Orpington. I had a beautiful white one with gray splashes. She died today from a bound egg. Stuck half way while laying her first egg. She was my husbands favorite chicken. We are new backyard farmers with a veggie garden and all. I am having trouble finding someone who will sell less than 15. I am looking for 5 any color but one white at least. Do you know any connections?
Thank you