I’m keeping my fingers crossed that my new nest boxes for the hens will arrive sometime this weekend, so that I can finally complete set-up of their nesting / roosting area. My chickens are free-range, in the sense that they leave the barn and head for the fields (no fences!) at their own leisure and on their own schedule, and then put themselves to bed on their own schedule as well. Very easy keepers! However, now that they are older and about ready to start laying eggs, their area requires a little more than just a floor space covered in pine shavings. My mission this weekend is to add roosts and nest boxes, then we’ll be all set.
I have a Buff Brahma Bantam, who is old enough (2 yrs) to produce, and is “kept company” by a Black Copper Maran Rooster. I have four eggs of hers that I just placed in my new incubator yesterday evening. Crossing my fingers again, that I will hatch some little ones around July 26th. This hen has only ever produced light brown eggs. Oddly enough, I found a nearly white egg in her nest box yesterday. Perhaps my other little hens are starting early? That egg was one of the four I placed into the incubator.
Buffy's "chickens-to-be"?
