Three Eggs and a Fox

Today we are up to the third egg from the pullets.  I have no way of knowing if these are all three from one hen or not.  I did find in Gail Damerow's 'Raising Chickens' that when a pullet begins to lay early then she is more likely to prolapse or become egg bound.  I guess I will have to prepare myself in case that happens, but pray for the best.  I have never had to deal with either situation yet.  

I took down the rest of the shade cloth today.  Some of the birds thought it was cozy to sleep on the shade cloth instead of on the roost in their shelter.  Kind of like a giant hammock, I guess!  One of my 'Have to Do's' before winter is to get a Chicken Tractor made.  This will be taller than their current shelter, so they will be able to roost higher up as they prefer...and they are ready for nest boxes.  It will be portable, by definition, so they will be able to be moved around to fresh grass, yet be safe from predators.

We have had a fox on the property.  He still eludes our capture and I have not been comfortable letting the old birds out loose.  The use of the dog run has come in handy this summer for some peace of mind.   

Pullet's First Egg

One of the pullets laid her first egg today.  It was very surprizing as I think it is early for them to begin to lay.  They are only eighteen weeks old!  I don't know if the surprize was from one of the Cornish or a Sumatra... a very nice brown egg though.  The small egg belongs to the pullet and the larger eggs are from my old hens. 

Butchering Day

Today I set my alarm early.  I once read that it would be easier to capture the cockerels early in the morning while they are still half asleep and loopy.  I was out there right before sunrise, capturing them one by one and hauling them out to a holding pen.  We didn't get to butchering until later in the afternoon, due to other chores that took priority that morning.   This butchering ordeal is my least favorite part of being part carnivore.

I had already spent some time the last couple of days in the pen with the birds finding and marking the more docile roosters.  I knew there were at least a couple, but managed to find five that would let me handle them.  They seemed to have no fear nor contempt of me and would jump up on the fence waiting for an invitation to roost on my arm or to be held in my hands.  As soon as I picked one up, he would get comfortable in the palm of my hand and sit there until my arm grew tired and I had to let him down.  These five I marked by spraying 'Blu Kote' on their feet and legs.   At the very end, I will have to pick two only to keep.  I have to leave the area when DH does the dirty deed with the three who won't make it.