As you can see, I now have four chickens and one rooster. I have only bought the two Barnevelders, Hilda and Helen. The others all crossed the road from the farm at various times, to live with us.
Meet Aunty Dorrie. She is the last little bantam from the farm who has survived hawk attacks and has crossed the road to seek refuge with King George and the other girls. When King George came to live with us I felt sorry for the lonely wee bantam that he had left behind. But now she is safe from hawks and hopefully not so lonely.
She still sleeps outside somewhere in the bushes and who knows where she lays her eggs. My plan is to capture her and lock her up for a few days so that she learns to sleep in the safety of a coop and not out in the bushes on her own.
And why is she called Aunty Dorrie? I don’t know. I must ask our farmer friend. We named his other bantam and the rooster when they came to live with us and then we found out they already had names (King George aka Roger and Hannah Hen aka Brittany), so we decided to ask this time what her name was. Hence Aunty Dorrie.
November 3, 2013 at 3:53 pm
It amazes me that your farmer friend just lets his chickens go live someplace else.
Ed
November 3, 2013 at 10:43 pm
I wonder if he will get any more. His farm is across from us but it house is a few kilometres down the road.
November 4, 2013 at 6:54 am
Actually, I’ve given this more thought and because the chickens free range fully, I don’t think he has much of a choice if the chickens decide to wander off.
November 4, 2013 at 3:39 am
She’s lovely and has a lovely name as well. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a comb that color before. Is that unusual?
November 4, 2013 at 7:03 am
Thank you. 🙂
Someone said that she might be a silkie cross due to her mulberry coloured comb.
November 6, 2013 at 2:28 pm
Okay, I have a question for you. I have been offered and accepted to adopt some chickens where the owner is moving and can’t take them. I asked what kind they were and I was told Rhode Island Reds – 2 hens and a rooster. I’ve read and seen a lot about roosters riding their hens too often in such a small flock. Do you have a problem with that? The ration I hear is 1 rooster to 15 hens. I’m now a bit worried and unsure what to do. Advice?
November 7, 2013 at 6:49 am
My preference is to not have a rooster but it have ended up with one of course. I don’t see him on my girls very often. In fact I have only witnessed it twice ever. He does a lot of the wing dance thing around them but the girls just walk a few steps away and he leaves them alone. So my thoughts are that it is ok.
I would love you to be able to enjoy chooks again.
November 7, 2013 at 9:24 am
Roosters are beautiful but I feel sorry for the hens. I would never chose a rooster but, like you, it may seem one has chosen me. When I was first told of these birds in need of a home, I had no idea there was a bad-boy in the package. I didn’t even know if they were bantams or full-sized or what, I just opened my heart and coop to them. After saying yes, it’s hard to say that the girls must come alone. So we’ll collect our hens plus our rooster and assume if they’ve survived to 1 1/2 years together, they’ll make it another few.
I do wonder if free ranging make the rooster aggression less. When I was in Kuai Hawaii there are wild chickens everywhere (a chicken farm was destroyed years ago in a cyclone) and my recollection is each rooster had only 1 or 2 hens and I never saw naked or damaged hens. The rooster damage to hens is probably another one of those problems humans have brought upon nature.
November 8, 2013 at 8:37 pm
I think you might be right about free ranging. I think I would get rid of George if my girls started getting naked backs. That would be so sad.
Good luck and I am glad you said yes and can have the joy once more of chooks but I know they will never be the same as your other beautiful girls.
November 9, 2013 at 9:26 am
I said the same thing to my husband. Those first 3 chickens will always be special, partly because they were the first but also because we got them when we lived in suburbia and they free ranged in the entire garden all day every day so we had a LOT of interaction. Because of the nature of the farm – foxes, snakes, so-so fencing – any future chickens will spend most (all?) of their time in their run and I’ll be wandering all over the farm so our interaction will never be that intense. I still my my sweet girls but I’m glad we’ve been asked to adopt some chickens in need of a home; it’s time to get back to having birds to dote on!
November 7, 2013 at 5:36 am
She’s pretty. I wondered how long it would take for King George to bring her to you. 🙂
November 7, 2013 at 6:50 am
Me too 🙂
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February 16, 2014 at 8:55 am
Just wondering if you know what to do when a chicken has a sore leg. I got my three barnevelders some weeks ago. They are about 16 weeks I think and one of them Dolly is really struggling with her left leg. I was wondering if you had any experience with this. Thanks, Kirsten
February 17, 2014 at 7:19 am
Hi Kirsten,
I’m sorry I haven’t had any experience with chickens with sore legs but I know where you’ll get some great advice.
Get yourself a user id on poultrycentral.co.nz and ask the very clever chicken people there. Good luck. 🙂
February 17, 2014 at 8:28 am
Thanks for that. I will do. It does look that Dolly’s leg is improving but your tip still holds. Check out my blog http://www.pollymollyanddolly.wordpress.com if you like reading about chooks!
February 18, 2014 at 6:49 am
Thanks for the link. I can’t wait to read it from the beginning.
February 18, 2014 at 6:55 am
Cool! Same with your blog!
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