The New Generation

My aim here at Leegan Farm is to add livestock with a purpose. We are trying to work towards a more self sustaining lifestyle. My chooks and ducks provide eggs, meat and feathers, as well as bug control and fertiliser. I chose a heritage utility breed of chicken, the wyandotte. They are pretty looking chooks, aren't too bad in terms of egg production, dress out to a good size and are good mothers.

Since my rooster had matured and was free to crow as much as he liked, I decided to let one of my hens go broody on some eggs. As a result I ended up with six little fluffballs.

As adorable as they are, these are destined for the oven. However, I feel it is a waste to cull females for food. They provide eggs for a number of years, are generally smaller and they're easy enough to find homes for which can then assist in paying for feed for the rest of them. So any girls I end up with will either be rehomed or kept to expand/refresh my flock.

My little chicks are now almost 3 months old and I'm trying to guess what I have.

It's looking like a have a good proportion of young cockerels and I might be lucky enough to have one turn out to be female. If there is a girl I'll add her to my flock.

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After moving to our new home, my rooster became increasingly aggressive as he matured. I learned tricks to outsmart him in their pen so I could collect the eggs. Then he learned some tricks of his own and found ways to get out of their pen to greet me each morning with fly kicks. I had my suspicions that he was practicing on our scarecrow in the garden. After a few months of this, I'd had enough, particularly with visiting nieces and nephews at risk. We set a date and did the deed and this is how he ended up:

Coq au vin - May not look great, but I assure you it was delicious!

The only problem then was I had no rooster to help my hens find tasty treats and fertilise their eggs. I contacted my chook breeder and I was in luck! She had a fine boy, who is kind to his humans and devoted to his hens. I brought him home and he settled in very quickly, scratching around to find some kind of tasty offering for his new girls.

Left to right: Pumpkin, Buttons, Queenie and Ember in front.

I'm yet to think of a name for my new handsome rooster, but I think I'll wait until we're better acquainted.