Eggs (week ending 7/30): 22So the other day I noticed something interesting. I've been feeding the goats first so they don't get in the way (and eat the scratch I toss down for the chickens) while I do the water and let the chickens out.
Eggs (7/31): 3
Eggs (month of July): 152
Eggs (year to date): 1375
Monday I opened the coop up and started to go into the tack room when I noticed something interesting. The chickens ran to the west part of the barnyard, onto a concrete pad where I sometimes feed them. Seeing nothing was there, they stampeded to the east end, near the fence - I often toss their scratch on the other side of the fence so the goats can't get to it. Seeing there was nothing there, they started back towards the concrete pad, but didn't go as far. Then back towards the fence. It was like watching a pendulum stopping.
So Tuesday I tossed food down on the west end, on the concrete pad (one of my favorite morning sounds is rattle made by the chickens as they peck food off of this pa). They ran almost the whole way to the pad before some started back toward the fence. A couple found the food and started eating. Then a couple more realized there was food on the pad and turned around to join their friends. More and more started turning back. A few chickens actually made it to the fence before realizing where the food was.
On Wednesday I tossed the food down on the other side of the fence. The chooks stampeded to and overran the concrete pad and found nothing. They ran to the fence. Like the day before, a few went through the fence to find food while the majority started back before realizing what was going on.
So today I threw the scratch down in a third location, this one inside the barnyard along a worn, gravelly path that leads to a fence (on the other side of the fence is the manure pile, where I also throw scratch sometimes). On releasing the chickens, they overran the concrete pad. Then they all flocked to the other side of the fence. Back to the pad. Then they started wandering toward me. So I stalked toward where the food was and called them.
I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow.
I should also report that the buck who was born as the sole kid to one of my daughter's does is now bigger than the two bucks who are a month older. He's going to be a monster, I'm sure.
