Compost Machines Arrived Wednesday

It's been 20 years since I had chickens. And I've never raised them from babies before - but the little compost machines are doing a good job and I put my first bit of chicken litter into the garden this evening. It was mostly wet pine shavings from spilled water and not much chicken leavings, but still not good for chickies any more, so I put it about a foot away from some of my tomatoes. Even if the nutritional value isn't too high, the mulch, mulch, mulch factor should be good.

This is a picture of my little lame girl - one foot either got injured in shipping or is naturally deformed. She is holding her own, though, and gets about almost as good as the others with a combination of one foot hopping and flapping. Since she seems to be producing compostables as well as any other chick and since she seems determined to have her place in the flock, we figured we may as well keep her. I mean, a live chicken over the course of her life should produce way more compost than a culled chicky in the compost pile, right? And, if we get lucky, we'll even get some eggs from her.

I've stopped updating my website because it's too labor intensive, but I am now blogging, so if anyone is interested in more chicky pics, you can see my blog at http://highdesertgardening.blogspot.com/ You can also spy on my garden there.

Many blessings. Karla

Oh, your little lame chick is adorable. Let us hope she can hold her own. I bet all of them are adorable. I so wanted to have chickens this year, but I had other problems -- a dying dog and medical issues of my own. Hopefully, but nest spring I will be able to have some chicks of my own.
I will check out your blog.
Congrats on the compost machines.

kmom, good reading and pictures on your blog.

I too have new compost machines, One of my gift black banties hatched off 3 babies from the four eggs she was setting on. They are just over 2 weeks old now. I was a little worried about what would happen in the chicken house with new babies and two old chickens, the rooster is 8 years and also one auracana hen and a 1 1/2 year old guinea fowl.

I have told of my birds unhappy experiences on other threads so won't go into it now. Anyway the little black banty mother took good care of her 3 babies. I kept all tjhe birds in the chicken house & yard for about a week. Now I open the chicken yard gate in late afternoon and let all out to explore the garden and yard, and all seem happy.

Donna

Oh Donna and Kmom,
Your chickens sound like so much fun. I can't wait until I get some of my own. This year turned out not to be the year, either. I had health issues and even more my elderly keeshond had health issue and I figured he didn't need any newcomers right now. He might have chased them or found them irritating. I am hoping for next year. I know exactly where I want to put their house.
Betty

I was afraid I would have problems with my little dog Blue, chasing the baby bantychicks but the mother is quite protective of the babies and she lets the rest know to leave her and the babies alone. I was hoping the babies would be somewhat colored like the rooster, who has partly white and tan colored feathers, but they, the babies, look to be just like the all black mother.

Donna