Barred Rock Rooster & Easter Egger Hen
When we ordered our Meat Chickens, we got a mystery bird along with them for free. Now that it is old enough we know that it's a hen (girl). So I've been on the look out for a Rooster. I found an ad on Craigslist. She had 2 roosters she was giving away for free and had 2 hens that were laying that she was selling for $5 each. I gave her a call and it ended up that she lived not even 5 minutes from me.
I went on over on Friday and picked out the Barred Rock Rooster and one of the Easter Egger hens.
I want to have a rooster with the hopes that one day if one of my hens wants to go broody, meaning she wants to sit on and hatch her eggs, we will have our own chicks. You need a rooster to have fertilized eggs which could be baby chicks one day.
He seems pretty friendly and let me pick him up. Also this morning, Sunday he was trying to crow for the first time. I'm sure within a weeks time he will have it down.
Barred Rock Rooster, handsome.
I decided to get the hen because we are still waiting for our 6 hens to start laying. They will be 5 months old next week and are suppose to start laying soon. When I went to look at the roosters and hens I wasn't sure if I would get a hen or not but I couldn't pass up on of the them as she was really pretty, looked completely different then anything I already have AND she was already laying.
Easter Egger Hen
Both the rooster and hen are housed together in temporary housing for 30 days. We need to make sure that they aren't bringing in any diseases that may kill my flock. Once we have hit the 30 day mark we will introduce them to my other hens and hopefully they will live all nicely together.
Temporary Housing
We have an extra large dog crate in there to lock them up in at night. I'm worried about something getting at them through the fence so it's just for extra precaution. It's also the place the hen has chosen to lay her eggs.
Our first egg from the Easter Egger Hen
She finally laid her first egg here. I think she was a little stressed about the move and such so she didn't lay her egg until 5:15 at night. I was doing chores when I noticed her sitting in the crate. I just left her alone and noticed later on that she was out and walking around again. Of course I went and checked and low and behold there was the egg!!!
I, of course knew Hailey wanted to get the first egg so I went back up to the house to get her.
Hailey with the egg.
Easter Egger hens lay color tinted eggs. Our eggs are a very pastel green color. Yes they taste like a regular egg even being a different color.
Our first egg from the Easter Egger Hen
Hopefully she will keep laying her egg everyday and we'll continue to get at least one fresh egg a day until my other hens decide to start laying.
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