Wednesday 7 August 2013

Counting our chickens

It's almost six months now since our hens emerged from the bush with a brood of chicks in tow and we're finally able to tell which ones are roosters. We seem to have done quite well this time - probably only three roosters out of a total flock of 11 birds. Three roosters too many! 


It's only when we put out fresh food for the chickens that we see them altogether and can count them and check them. Normally they're spread out, foraging, over quite a wide area - and they move so quickly that it's easy to double count or miss one!


Two of the roosters are white - including the second from the top in the photo above - and the other one has the black and white markings of some of our original roosters. The striped markings must have come from the mother though as our roosters had both gone by the time that these chicks were conceived.

The white birds are evidence of our hens straying into next door - though which neighbouring property has a white rooster isn't entirely clear!


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