Chicken Trading

May 7, 2019

Last week a neighbor offered us 13 one year old chickens (12 hens and a rooster). We like the idea of younger hens, but did not necessarily want that many. We offered to split them with a friend, and give her the rooster. We just gave away 6 of our hens on Craigslist. Maybe we did not chose the wisest way, but we picked 3 that were Barred Rocks, 2 that never fit in well that we got from a friend last fall, and the Silver Wyandotte that fights with the rooster. We kept two Buff Orphingtons, a Rex Sexlink, 2 ISA Browns, and 2 Australorps. Only one is young enough to likely lay much. It will be interesting the next day or two, to see how many eggs we get, but we have high hopes the 1 year olds will lay a lot so we will be fine, but might choose to give away a few more, or at least put them in the separate coop and test their egg laying prowess. 

I also just saw a thing about saving eggs in a "water bottle" solution. One lady online says she kept hers for 8 months. I want to try it. Using Pickling lime or Calcium hydroxide in a water solution. Eggs all winter would be cool!

May 9, 2019
Tonight we picked up the chickens.
We got a Rooster, 2 Barred Rocks, a Black Sex link, A Wyandotte, a Red Sex Link, and a Buff Orphington for our Friends that gave us our Rooster and an Australorp.

We got for us: A Red Sex link, A Buff Orphington, A Black Sexlink, 2 white ones we are not sure about -- one might be Might be a Austra White or a Columbian Wyandotte, the other might be the Autra White or a white leghorn.. not sure, then one that looks like a golden and white Wyandotte. 

The smallest white one escaped as we were putting her in the coop, we had to catch her and put her back. That was exciting... I feel bad for her, she was scared, but they are all settled down for the night. We all (Matt, Me, Tober, Wyle, Emma and Avi) went to get them. Matt and I put them in boxes and the children loaded them into the car. ...

We have 13 chickens again and a rooster. I hope that this was a good choice and that they all settle into their new homes well.