Pardon the 15-month gap between blogs, but 2013 was a hectic year, and it's taken me the first few months of 2014 to fully recover. I won't be writing as regularly as I did when I was in school and had to post each week for class, but I also won't be quiet for such a long time!
In May 2013 we had a mini-tornado and hail storm rip through our area, and the combination knocked down my portable electric fence, and actually moved my very heavy A-frame chicken house. I didn't realize the problem and let the dogs out for a walk after the storm had cleared. They decimated the flock; only 9 hens escaped (see my 9/12/12 blog, "On predators and prey").
The biggest difference between now and previous to the storm is that I've rebuilt the flock with hens but no roosters. Many people ask if hens can lay eggs without a rooster around, and the answer is yes. The eggs are not fertilized so they won't hatch, but they are just as tasty and nutritious.
I've been rooster-less for almost 10 months now, and I've got to say the "girls" seem much happier. Roosters are rough and just plain brutish when mating, and their spurs can leave the hens' backs bloody and bare. And while I've had some tame roosters who were easy to work around, I've also had roosters who were just plain mean. The mean ones attack anyone who goes near the chicken house or the hens, and that obviously makes things difficult.
But least I get accused of misandry (hatred of males), I will admit that roosters can be helpful. They are always on the lookout for predators, while foraging hens just focus on eating. Many times I've heard a rooster cackling or scolding, only to go outside and discover a threat, such as a dog, coyote, or chicken hawk.
Also I have lost a few customers because some people only want fertilized eggs, either to eat (they think they are healthier), or to hatch.
So for now, we're staying rooster-less, and my Happy Hens are even happier than before!
