Birds on the Farm

The farm is currently the home of three flocks of poultry and we thought everyone might enjoy seeing them.  For those who have slower internet connections, we apologize.  These are youtube videos.  The good news?  You might be able to see them better on your smart phone, if you have one. For those with better internet - enjoy the short videos.

The Laying Flock
The current batch of laying hens, also known as 'the Ladies,' are the veterans - some of whom have survived two Winters on the farm.  Wednesday was a VERY windy day and the birds decided to start coming into their room when we entered it to collect eggs.  The funny thing about hens and wind... if they turn their back to it, it tends to push their feathers forward and can lead to some very silly walks.  When you watch the video below, pay attention to the birds as they enter the room - especially towards the end.

The Henlets
The new hen chicks are really not quite old enough to take on the "Henlet" label just yet - but we do have other chicks on the farm - so this helps to differentiate them.  At the point we took this video they were in the brooder room.  We start them in a smaller area with a heat lamp and covers to keep them warm enough.  As they grow, we expand their space and reduce the extra heat.  We are just now looking to expand that space, depending on how cool it looks like the next couple of nights will be.

The Nuggets
And, the newest addition to the farm are the "Nuggets."  We seem to recall that Anden D helped us with this name when he worked on the farm.  In any event, baby broiler chicks are cute - but they don't stay cute for very long.  So, we thought we'd capture at least one video while they were still in that stage...  The video is VERY short - perhaps we'll do better next time.  Once again, part of the issue is that we have the birds in a smaller, enclosed area with red heat lamps.  All of those things can make pictures and videos a bit of a challenge - especially when you're being impatient in the process.  Hey!  I had chores to do!

And there you have it!  The next batch of new birds will be the turklets in a few weeks.  We'll make sure to post something with them as well when that happens.