Ken has always encouraged broody hens to hatch chicks. A few years back when the price of day old chicks went to $4 each, Ken got serious about hatching out chickens to replace older laying hens. A chick grows into either a pullet (female) or cockerel (male), and then as adult they are hens or roosters. Pullets grow for about six months before they lay eggs. Their first eggs are small and people call them pullet eggs.
Ken does not push production so our hens are usually productive for three years. Most commercial operations only keep hens about a year.
This season Ken has had five batches of chicks hatch out, and he has a couple more hens sitting on eggs. It takes twenty one days for chicks to hatch. The chicks are in a fenced in area north of the house with various roosting and shady spots.
The chicks are figuring out how to get out, and Oscar feels compelled to herd them back inside. Soon Ken will integrate them into the main flock
