(Originally posted Sept 4 2011)

I got the BEST Craigslist score today – 16 free laying hens! All between 5 months and 2 years old. They came from two groups – one is four Buff Orps that are being “downsized” from their flock because the owner wants to do more exotic birds – I saw some of the funky crested ones when I was picking mine up. The others are each potential egg-eaters, and the owner chose to replace the whole flock rather than figure out which ones were doing it. I received Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, and a few I don’t recognize (like one that’s small and solid black).

I am so stoked! I have the 12 in my newly cleared out chicken run, and the four in a large dog crate. Tomorrow I get to go over each with a fine toothed comb and make sure they’re healthy, and separate everyone into empty rabbit hutches to see which are actually the egg eaters. Once I know that I can pick which to keep for eggs and which will go for meat.

And all it cost me was the time I spent reading Craigslist, and the car drive to go get them.