our hens roam freely, scratching and pecking their way through acres of pasture, woods, and garden (aargh!) all day, until the put themselves to bed in the safety of the hen house when the sun goes down. We only need to lock the door when they do, to keep predators at bay. Most of our hens were hatched out by a mama hen who teaches them how to scratch and listen to the hawk's warning cries when danger is sighted. Our experience has been that chickens raised by a mama hen, and not hatched in an incubator, naturally become part of the flock and know how to keep themselves safe, as opposed to incubated eggs that are not taught and socialized by their mother, to listen to the rooster and take cover. Now we let the hens sit on their eggs when they want and don't bother incubating. The flock is now much healthier and happier, living in their natural, social order than an incubated one that always need to be protected with caging and never actually understands its true nature. Our eggs are multi-colored, some are light brown, brown, speckled, blue, olive, beige, and occasionally pink. The size ranges from medium to large, laid by a mixed flock of Wesley Summers and Easter Eggers
close our hens roam freely, scratching and pecking their way through acres of pasture, woods, and garden (aargh!) all day, until ...
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