It's been a while since I had the opportunity to share farm updates, so  I thought its time to share little update/some photos with you. We just came from California and Big Island Hawaii vacation recently, and happy to report all the chicken made it (Thanks to my last couple of weeks handwork to complete the chicken RUN with my nephew).  We put chicken wire skirt, strong post (stabilized it with cement) and 

I am not 100% sure what will end up happening to him, but being he's a rare breed, I am tempted to try and breed him with one of my Orpington Hen.  But the reality is that I don't live in a farm and breeding business is not what I originally intended when I got these chicken.   Egg production is my #1 priority and you don't need a Rooster for that. :)

Anyway, chickens are doing well. So far, the pecking order settled down a bit and they are all hanging around together more or less (I notice the 4 that were hatched stays together most of the time, while the other 4 stays in their own flock.  I only see them together when I am giving them some sort of treat or inside the run).  Peaches (I have to ask my son to think of a male name for him to avoid teasing from the other chickens at the run) and Tim are really god buddy and 70% of the time hangs out together (Hens are too, but both brothers are together).  For the record, Tim and Peaches weren't from the same parents.  Anyway, I think the hard part is coming ahead when I will have to give Tim away to somebody (Anybody want him? Just email me and he is yours (if you have a Stew Pot, you do not qualify).  I would like to get a trade for a Hen, but at this point, I just need for him a good home.   I will have to really think hard about Peaches.  I am really hopping that I can keep him and he doesn't keep the neighbors up early in the morning (jeopardizing my whole backyard Chicken initiative).     

On another note, I have been letting them "Free Range" or Pasture Range all day in my 3 acre (although they use the opening area which is around acre plus/minus).  Even after the run was completed, I let them roam free as I love watching them find bugs, trying various weeds, grass and so on.   But for the last few days, Tim and Peaches has become quite wild (I can't catch them like I used to be able to do).   My "run' is not quite complete, so the door is not quite done (due to my procrastination and busy weeks since the vacation), so I have to still catch them to put them in the run.  While catching the hen usually a breeze, Tim and Peaches giving me the run for the money!  In fact, I found today that it was even difficult to catch those "Hen" as they are following Tim and Peaches.  My goal is to not allow them out until I construct the door and then letting them in/out would be easier.  Besides that, I am observing that my orpington (especially Peaches) loosing some weight.   I am not sure it seems that way since he's growing taller, but I don't feel a lot of muscle when I feel his chest, legs etc (not that I wanna eat him, I want him to be healthy).  I'm assuming he's not doing a great job free ranging (although I often see him catching bugs, worm, etc, not enough without 'feed supplement' perhaps).   This terrible heatwave in Georgia might be moving a lot of their insect pray away to cooler places, and they are lacking protein.   Hopefully I can supplement with various treats such as mealworm and other table scraps to fill that gap.