The birds are 6 months old. We still have 13 hens and 1 rooster. We know their patterns now and they know ours. When I take Joey out in the morning they come running to the fence. They know I am bringing some sort of food scrap. Usually I feed them scraps of strawberries, cucumbers, bananas, tomatoes or carrots. Joey loves cucumbers and carrots too. The other morning he reached his paw through the fence and pushed a cucumber right up to the opening. He waited patiently until the Barred Rock came over to eat the cucumber. He then pounced at the fence and scared her. She jumped up and squawked and Joey trotted away proud of himself. If only I had a video!!

The rooster is quite annoying to me. I know he is only being a rooster but he can stop coming after my boots! It normally happens in the evening when they are all beginning to roost. The hens are all roosting up high and he is patrolling the ground floor. If we have to go in to fill water or feed he has to come over and peck at our boots. Some days it’s harder than others! I take a rake with me every time, just in case I need to swat him. He has chased me out of the coop once, I try not to turn my back on him. The other Sunday he was magically out of the fence. We have NO idea how his big body could fly but it obviously did. Joey helped coral him back into the coop with us. That was an eventful morning to say the least!!