There Go The Roosters

Indecision can be paralyzing

At the end of June this year, we incubated ten eggs from our flock, eight hatched and six survived. Three were roosters which was two too many this year.

I had to decide who would be best for the flock. It was an excruciating time as I had raised all of them from hatching. I mean how do you determine which family members need to leave??

I watched to see how they treated the hens - when trying to mate and when they found treats. Were they rough and startling? Did they gobble things down for themselves or did they encourage the ladies to come and get it?

From left: Sunny, Luda and EE

I finally decided to keep Luda and gave Sunny to my friend T. She’s got six hens to keep him happy.

..and then gave EE to a chicken sanctuary place, they said. I'm hoping they are truly keeping the roosters safe and with a coop at night and then free ranging during the day like they say and not going to eat him but that's out of my hands now.

So now colorwise we have five black and five white and two brown. We have one rooster and 11 hens.

Four midnight majesty marans: Orange, Broody, Sasha and Greenie.

Five light brahmas: Daisy, Shekinah, Betsy, Grace and Luda*

Three Americaunas: Olivia, Heather* and Zora

I hope we'll start getting some eggs either from the old ones who are done with molting or from the young ones who are ready to start laying.

Although this is the shortest day of the year so the day with the least amount of sunlight. The hardest part about all of this was not being able to decide which to keep. Once I decided and found homes, it felt better. And wouldn’t you know it? We got a tiny starter egg!

*funny thing is, I named these two after our Thirst mission trip guides when we went to SE Kentucky. Word has it, they got married!!