Layer Update

In the morning or evening when someone would go down to tend to the chickens there seemed to always be one or more layer where she didn't belong. One day when I went down there were four layers roosting on the fence that kept the three species apart, two in with the ducklings, and three in with the broilers. It was apparent that the layers had outgrown their fence.

Yesterday we moved them outside. They still aren't in their permanent home, for the time being they are in the pen that the ducks were in. There is a "plan" for their future home. I don't quite understand it yet but it has something to do with rotating the pasture they are in so that they will always have some place that has food and bugs. We can't free range them for fear of them pecking at the tomatoes, getting eaten by the neighbor dog, or visiting the daycare. 

They respond to my (Delia's) voice. I had this fear of chickens before we brought these homes. I had this image of putting my hand under a chicken to pull out an egg and getting pecked to death. I had a goal that the chickens and I would be friends. Nearly everyday when they were just wee chicks I'd go out there and talk to them and hold them. Now when I go out to see them they come running! They allow me to pick them up and will sit on my hand looking like the king of the mountain. 

  

We think that Fluffernutter might be a rooster. What do you think? 

Piglet has grown and we can no longer  pick her out of the crowd.

Twig is growing and her funky feet don't seem to be an issue, but she can't quite scratch in the ground so we will need to keep some dirt around for her.