A Flock of Layer Hens... and one Rooster

We have increased our flock of chickens by one dozen and now have 35 laying hens and one rooster. They have been a wonderful addition to our lives and provide us with so much more than just eggs. Watching them scratch around the yard and preen themselves and interact with each other is quite fullfilling.

Our rooster is a great protector of his flock. He is about a year old now and has easily earned his keep. He is an Americauna breed and we have three other hens of this breed. They lay blue or green eggs and so are often called Easter Egg Chickens. We haven't named any of the birds since they are technically working animals and we don't want to get too attached but i am thinking of naming him. He could be around for six to ten years if cared for well. Many folks have shared stories with me about awful roosters that attack people but we have had no trouble what so ever with him. He does protect the hens and exhibits anxiety when we are picking up any hens but he never attacks us. And no, his crowing is not obnoxious! Quite the opposite. We enjoy his morning crows as they let us know everything is going smoothly. We remember quite fondly his first crowing attempt at about 8 weeks of age. It seemed rather early compared to what we had read but that is what he did. He was already identifiable as a rooster due to his coloring and comb and then one day as we were feeding the little chicks, he stood up strait, pulled is wings back and let out a screechy, garbled squawk. Russ and I looked at each other and said "Yup, that confirms it. He's a rooster".

These are the newest members of the flock - one dozen Buff Orpingtons. We found them on craigslist and took an afternoon drive to a nearby town in the mountains to pick them up. They are about 7 months old now and have just started laying little eggs. The combining of the two flocks went wonderfully and they have found their place in the pecking order without much fighting at all. They will continue to lay small "pullet" eggs until they are about a year old and then the eggs start getting bigger. Our other girls are giving us large and extra large eggs now (they are almost one year old). We eat plenty of eggs and sell the rest to friends. This summer we'll be at the local farmers market as well with our produce and eggs. Such fun!