Sunday, August 7, 2016

Meet our hens - Rosie, Tulip, Lily & Violet!

I haven't properly introduced you dear readers to the happy hens of Mama Moon Homestead! On February 26, 2016, we brought home four fluffy baby chicks that were just three days old. Two of them are Rhode Island Reds, and the other two are Buff Orpingtons. It has been super cool to watch these girls grow from little peeping babies to clucking hens. 

Rosie is the leader of the pack. She has always been the lady in charge since she was a little one. She puffs her chest out and likes to herd the other girls around. Rosie has basically taken the place of a rooster. I don't plan on ever getting a rooster, so Rosie can be the boss. 



Tulip is the second biggest hen we have. She likes to run around and be tough like Rosie. Her comb is rather large and flops to the side which just adds to her already large character. 



Lily is next in line. She looks very similar to Rosie but isn't quite as large. She gave us quite a scare last week. We thought she was egg-bound which means a hen is unable to lay the egg she has inside of her. The result is death. Lily was removing herself from the other chickens and acting very lethargic. We made sure she was drinking plenty of water, but she seemed to have no energy. Her droppings also fit some of the symptoms of an egg-bound hen. 


We were so afraid to lose her. My sweetheart gave her a bath and went out to the farm store to pick up some ground oyster shells to make sure she was getting plenty of calcium. After the second warm bath and gentle belly rubs, Lily began to come around. We don't know when she lay the egg, but she must have because she is feeling 100% better! It's hard to tell who is laying which egg, right now all of our hens are laying. Our chickens are not just here to give us eggs; they are a large part of our homestead family, and I don't want to ever think about the day that we may lose one.



Last but not least is Violet. She is a funny girl. Violet has always been the runt of the flock, and her comb is still developing, but she sure lays some beautiful eggs. She is also very proud of herself and stands up to the other hens regardless of her place in the flock. 



I am extremely thankful to have healthy hens who provide us with fresh eggs daily. It feels awesome to fill up egg cartons with their eggs. I always say thank you when I find an egg in the nesting box. Having these girls has definitely changed the way I look at eggs. I appreciate the process so much more and have mad respect for chickens!

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