Our Buff Brahmas

Ok, I admit that we are a bit obsessed with chickens... for one, they are easy pets to keep! Since we let them free-range, they don't eat much feed, and they are cuddly :) You might not know this, but chickens are very soft and can be handled very easily if you are a hands-on chicken owner!

Here are the new additions to our flock... Salmonella, Schnitzel, Endive and Tree Stump. They are Buff Brahmas, which are duel purpose birds- this means they are raised for meat and eggs. I got them because they will grow to be big, feathery, beautiful, 8lb hens! This breed has feathery feet, which the kids think is the coolest thing... and they have grey-green eyes.

As with any new additions, our Brahmas are quarantined- which is good because I have to de-worm them. After a week or so, we will introduce them to the rest of the flock and pray for peace. Pecking order is no fun, and our RIRs tend to be feisty with the other chickens... although they are sober and calm with us.

With 10 hens and a rooster, we are sure to have plenty of eggs in the near future! And, hopefully, we can learn about hatching some eggs, too! I wouldn't trust myself with hatching, but if a hen goes broody.... who knows :)

Our First Egg!!

We have been waiting for eggs for, well it seems like forever... and, finally, Panini has given us one! Panini is Annalee's Rhode Island Red hen, and she is 21 1/2 weeks old. RIR hens will typically start laying eggs from 20 to 27 weeks, and when they start laying they are pretty reliable producers. I have heard stories of some RIRs laying up to 3 eggs per day!



Gabe noticed this morning that another RIR is doing the "egg dance", too! This is when the hen squats down and stomps her feet rapidly when you go to pick her up. I am getting excited about all the fresh eggs in our future! When all our hens are laying, we'll get up to a dozen per day :)