Chickens!

Last Saturday I went to Salisbury Rare Breed Poultry auctions with Lyn & Fraser.  As I only have 2 chickens at the moment I was hoping to get 2 more at the auction.

I have never been to any livestock auction and I did find it fascinating.  The auctioneer spoke so fast that I could not understand the prices so when I had chosen a cage of 2 white hens I got Fraser to bid for me.  Success!

Light Sussex hens

We think the birds are Light Sussex hens but there was no breed stated on the sale document.  Having got them home I needed to integrate them with my 2 Black Rock hens who are already well established.

Black Rock hens

So I divided the hen run and gave the new hens water and feed; I also clipped one wing so they cannot fly...........well that is the theory.  I found that night they had both flown up onto the edge of the chicken run and were roosting for the night.

I know that it is best to introduce new hens at night when they are all roosting but you should have seen the look my Black Rocks gave them, it was just as if 'who are they and are they staying?'  Very funny.

Well at the moment the Light Sussex are confined to the hen house during the day and after about a week I will let them mix all the time.  Fraser thinks that they need about another 2 months before they will start to lay so they should see me through the winter.

I love doing new things.