Our Layer Hens, Part 3

As promised, more chicken pictures!


Chickens on a roost. Like chicken-on-a-stick at the state fair, but without the deep fat frying.


A Partridge Cochin with her head tucked beneath her wing. A big round ball of feathers, and such pretty coloring!


A Buff Orpington roo all puffed out in the cold. He’s got some frostbite on his comb and wattle. That’s the disadvantage of breeds with larger combs and wattles, but he’s one of those holdouts that refuses to roost inside the coop.


Chickens in the corncrib. I tend to pick breeds based on prettiness, not productivity. That’s the whole reason I got layers in the first place – because they look pretty milling about the farm. The fact they lay eggs is just gravy, and if they lay enough extra that I can sell some is just gravy on gravy. Matt likes how they help clean up spilled hog and cattle feed, though I think the ducks are more adept at that.

If I were to get serious about egg production and making an income from it, I’d go with a whole flock of Gold Stars. They start to lay earlier than other breeds, are prolific layers of nice-sized brown eggs, have excellent feed conversion, nice tempered, handle the cold well, and are the best foragers of them all.

Next, at Peter’s request, I’ll show the corral design Matt came up with so that his wife (who does not get cows) will not get trampled. (Or, more often the case, he can run a steer into the trailer all by himself.)

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

4 Responses to Our Layer Hens, Part 3

  1. Rurality says:

    I love a colorful variety of chickens too. Unfortunately ours don’t come into the yard much anymore, they just stay in the woods. I think hawks must have traumatized them. (But I don’t know why the coyotes and bobcats haven’t!)

  2. Stacie says:

    I love it! Gravy on gravy!! My baby sitter’s family has a mini farm, and none of the animals get eaten!!! They are all pets!! Cuteness counts!

  3. Christian says:

    Are there any lasting problems from the frostbite to the comb and wattle? Do you attempt to treat the frostbite in any way? My rooster has a touch of frostbite on his comb, which has been the catalyst for the desire to improve my coop arrangement. I know they are just dumb ole birds, but I like ’em. Thanks again for the in depth report on your laying operation. Let me know if you would like to take a hard look at opening up the floor space in the corn crib. My engineering opinion is at your disposal.

  4. Juli says:

    🙂 Lovely to see the layers!!

Comments are closed.