Community Coops! – A bimonthly feature highlighting the blogs of our partners
Mother Earth News and Grit. This week’s featured blogger is Jennifer Quinn, who writes from her homestead in rural Virginia. Follow the links below as Jennifer shares the adorable antics of a the newest members of her flock.
I’ve written earlier about my efforts — both successful and unsuccessful — at hatching chicks under a broody hen. Some say they do a much better job of hatching and raising them than humans and an incubator, and this to me would be enough reason to do it.
Follow this link to learn about Jennifer’s experience with a mother hen:
Recently I wrote about my introduction to raising chicks with a broody hen. At eight days old, my ten Icelandic chicks had all managed to fly out the top of my makeshift broody pen and now had the run of the coop. The next question in my mind was when it would be okay to let them outside with the hen. I knew they would stay with her, and she would do her best to protect them from harm, but it still made me apprehensive. What if one should wander off into the weeds and get lost?
Follow this link to learn how the young chicks fared on their first outing:
My new brood of Icelandic chicks had already surprised me by flying out the top of the brood pen at eight days old, which means they now have the run of the coop. Rather than returning to the pen at night, their hen took over one of the nest boxes on the floor as a place to huddle with them, sheltering them all with her wings and body. So that’s where I found them the next couple of evenings, until on the third evening I encountered this amazing scene.
Follow this link to read more of Jennifer’s young brood:
Aren’t They A Little Young For This?
After almost giving up her search, Jennifer Quinn found the perfect homestead in rural Virginia. She calls her slice of heaven Panther’s Hollow. Her main topic’s are homesteading, country living, new adventures after 60, gardening, chickens, nature, and life in the Southern Appalachians. She is currently focused on her first flock.
Be sure to visit Jennifer’s articles and leave an encouraging comment!
Whether it’s our first flock or we’ve had years of experience tending the coop, we’re all part of the wonderful community of backyard chickens!
