Day 19 - Counting Chickens...

We bought our home in the Spring of 2011,

and it wasn't until later that summer that we got

our first chickens to put into the existing chicken coop...

A bantam rooster and two hens.

The rooster and one hen were promptly eaten by a bobcat.

I then started collecting more bantams

which we called the "mutant chickens."

We added some guinea fowl,

six of them...

two females and 4 males.

Two males went back to the breeder and

the two females

were killed by a bobcat.

I detailed most of this in a post

which was prompted by a massacre weekend

involving goats and a bear.

At that time I tallied up all the new chickens and fowl.

Somewhere in here we got two dogs,

and there have been no more bears or bobcats;

 that we've seen close to the property, at least.

Then this February we got turkeys...

six of them,

of which two made it to adulthood...

Unfortunately, both males.

Then we had the chick explosion a couple of weeks ago,

adding 22 new chicks to the group,

of which 1 mysteriously disappeared.

I hope another bobcat isn't around,

but maybe another hawk..?

So, we have a LOT of chickens...

but we thinned the herd down a bit 

voluntarily over the last couple of days.

Yesterday, 5 of the pullets and 3 of the younger chicks

went to a new home.

Today, a turkey and the remaining 4 "mutant" bantams

went to a new home.

The remaining turkey will be gone next week...

a friend has bought him.

So, as of today, we have

one remaining male guinea fowl

the "fluffy chicken" - one of the original "big chickens" we got

the "chicklets" - Hawkeye, Muffin Top and Madge (they're our best layers)

Roosters - big white Frederico & the "pocket rooster" Ollie

Hawkeye's Twins - two cockerels that just crowed for the first time this week

the pullets - of which 5 remain

the new chicks - of which 8 remain including

Sunshine (who will remain on the farm)

We'll have to see how many of the pullets and chicks

turn into hens and roosters...

If anything we'll get some more of these....