Cluck, Cluck Whaaaat????

Out bathing in the dirt. A communal thing.

Oh the chickens........

I'm writing this with a heavy hand.

I feel like I've placed a bounty.

I have a hit out on the girls.

I'm like some mob boss waiting for the right moment to "end scene."

But let me explain as I usually do-

We need to replace the flock.

We have girls that are three- to even four years old.  In chicken time that's midlife and that's just great- your egg production is slowing down, your feathers look a lil ratty, you might sleep some more. Eat often and hey- just kick back a bit.

Sounds great right?

Well it is!

For the chicken.

But not for the wannabe farmer.

It cost money to feed chickens.

Alot of money.

And egg business is far from lucrative right now.

We make no money off of selling eggs- nor do we break even. But the hope is to at least have a break even this summer. Meaning we sell enough eggs to pay for their feed.

We knew all this going in.  Anything with feathers is a hobby to me.

Keeping, raising, and breeding hens, is my hobby.  If it pays something- cool.

Well now comes the time for this wannabe farmer girl to face the truth.

The ugly truth.

These girls have to retire.

So what does that mean for the hen?

Well- their heads would have been chopped off a year ago if it were anywhere else.  We have some hens that I know don't lay anymore and they (if residing on another farm) would have been in the stew pot long before they got to that point.  We even have some hens that gotten sick over the winter and haven't fully recovered- they would have been in the frying pan anywhere else.

But this Snow White is no Queen of Hearts, and I don't really want to say "off with their heads," at the third sign of weakness.

*sigh

SO whats to happen....

Well I'm offering these sweet ladies to anyone who wants them.  I can -yes- take them to a shelter, but then you have randos picking them up to toss into their deep fryer the second they get them home so I won't be doing that.

If they don't find any homes we do have someone who will pick them up, and do what they will with them.

Its where I turn a blind eye, and shut off my mind.

Its a chicken right?!

Well- whatever.

I have a soft heart and these gals have been good.

You wanna be a farmer right?

Sure do.

*double sigh*

And now time for the boys.

Oh how I loved Hildago, and Mr. Bohanaon....

But Ohhhhh how they need a new home.

They grew up to be - ahem- vigorous gentlemen.

Actually no.

Not gentlemen

More like 

(block your ears)

serial chicken rapist.

Now I KNOW I KNOW-  "ooh that's what roosters do ," chuckle chuckle...hardyhar

But look here Jack.

They do it ---- non stop.

Incessantly.

Over and over and over and over and over again. And then over some more.

So much so that they are tearing the feathers out of my girls.

Feather tearing is too be expected a bit- but not to this extent.

They have torn the feathers off the girls wings. Backs. Heads. Necks. Tails. And nether regions.

They fight over a single hen while its mounted--- so they ahhhh- tag team her?- gross. 

And if the hen is screaming and running away, they chase her down till they---errrr- get their way.

Ugh.

My girls scream (you ever hear a chicken scream?) Scream when they come at her.

And they mount just for the sake of jumping on the hens back and pecking at her head?!

They're bad, bad boys.

Sadly, I can't have them do this to the new batch coming in.  They will eventually draw blood- and then the hen will get sun burnt. Drawn blood in a chicken yard is a sure chicken zombie invitation (chickens have no problem eating one another.)(double gross)

If I were to hatch any eggs out sired from these boys too, I can expect the hens or new roos to have the same temperament.

No good.

SO the two white roos gotta go.

As for Mr. Ferguson- he stays.  The hens follow him around.  He doesn't do his thing as often or as viciously, and cares alot about eating more than crowing every two seconds.  He's quiet and shy. Steers clear of me, and hangs out near the woods.  He's not concerned of hens wandering, like the other two are.  

This is a very weird time for me right now.

Well.

Thats about it.

I'm all done typing.