As I discovered while trying to decide what kind of chickens to get, I learned that having all the chickens the same breed, lowers the stress level . As chicks get older and learn their pecking order in the group. There is less fighting. The other night when I was working near the pen, one of the pullets made a noise and the race was on, because each chicken knew their position in the group, they went to roost in a line each chicken knew when to enter the roosting area the last one took what was left. The chicken that was last always sat on the end on the roost one down, since I have all the chickens banded and numbered I can see that it was the same chicken. This chicken is always away from the others . So to keep the stress down I have two feeders each on opposite sides, less stress
When the pullets wake up at 4am when the lights come on , they are out off the roost in under a minute all 14 of them and in order. The cockeral that I had put a lot of stress on the pullets always showing the other chickens who is the boss. That is why I had to remove him, plus he had started to crow not good for the neighbors. but could not eat him so I gave him to my stepson Sean. note: on my progress with the new portable brooder that I am building everything is done except the roof . I want to get this stuff done before winter dips down to freezing today I covered the saw dust and wood chips to keep them dry and I also covered the top soil that I use for the dusting boxes, I need to keep it dry also.

14 chickens 14 eggs, nice clean eggs. very large, I did not clean these eggs this is the way I got them from the hen house.

chicks at about 1 1/2 months old just moved from in the house to the new coop it was toasty warm.

pullets grown up

this a picture of the new expansion of the outside chicken yard .

After working on building the coop all winter and getting the area in the house ready to receive my new pullets. I ordered them on the internet from Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon, Missouri. The type of chickens I wanted were pullets and would lay big brown eggs and were bred to lay. when the chicks are born the pullets are brown and the cockerels are yellow, pullets (female), cockerels (male). When they are one year old they become hens and roosters. The breed of my chickens are called Cinnamon Queens., brown with streaks of white. My chicks arrived at the post office on March 5Th 08 I ordered 15 pullets because I wanted to see how much room that they would take up. After picking them up and I had arrived home one of the pullets had expired, but the hatchery had put in a extra one for that reason, but the extra one was a cockerel and so I now I had 14 pullets and one cockerel. The chicks travel pretty well about all that they really need is heat, the chicks live off themselves for food and moisture for about 4 0r 5 days so the best time to to ship are right when they are first born.
I got them home as quick as I could , so, that I could get them warm and give them some water, as you put them in you dip their little becks in the water to show them what it is. put some paper towels on the floor so that they won't slip, throw a little chick feed on the floor to let them peck for food no litter because they would fill up on the saw dust and they could die. water at around 98 degrees so that when they drink the water won't lower the body heat, heat at around 95 to 103 and water at around 98. as the weeks go bye lower temps around 5 degrees each week.

MY VERY FIRST EGG FROM MY LADIES

my very first coop before i doubled the outside yard.

10-20-08 Winterizing at this time of year is on my mind 24/7. Winterizing is a thing that you plan for all year long. When I built the chicken coop I had all seasons of the year in mind Just recently I put the windows on the coop, plugged in the water thermostat holder. I have removed all the litter and replaced it with new, cleaned the inside laying and roosting area. I put yellow numbered bands on the pullets feet. Gave each pullet a health checkup, front to back , sprayed them with Poultry Protector. I use only organic materials, on or around them. Of course I spray the coop and yard area once a week to kill bugs ,flies, mites etcetera.. so far none yet. The pullets eat all the bugs that they see and believe me they look 24/7, always on the search. Things are almost ready for winter. my next post will be on the history of my ladies.

DATE 10-20-08 WELL NOW LET'S GET STARTED. I AM STILL TRYING TO FIND MY WAY AROUND THIS BLOG AND SO I MUST TEST TO GET THINGS RIGHT. I HAVE DECIDED TO BEGIN BY TALKING ABOUT THE SEASONS, BEGINING WITH WINTER , MEANING THAT ABOUT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR I NEED TO WINTERIZE, THUS MY FIRST WORDS OF WISDOM WILL BE THAT. SO STAND BY WHILE I GET THE ARTICLE READY. IN A DAY OR SO.