The Hens Arrive

Today I picked up 30 ISA brown chickens from Sleepy G Farm. I spent a couple days last week cleaning out the hen house as it hadn't been touched since the fall when our previous birds (Black Sex Links) went to the freezer. It was pretty nasty in there but after moving all the chicken waste and a good go with the pressure washer it looks much better.

Before:

And after:

These new girls are, as mentioned, ISA browns, an ambiguous title which I've never actually read about, till now. ISA stand for Institut de Sélection Animale, the company which developed the breed in 1978 for egg production as a battery hen. The bird is a hybrid type of Sex Link chicken, which is the result of crossing Rhode Island Reds and White Leghorns. Thanks wikipedia.

Although these girls were developed to be a battery hen (caged) they are much happier roaming around scratching in the grass seeking out bugs and seeds. We'll keep them in the coop for a couple days to let them familiarize themselves to their new laying boxes before letting them wander. We're definitely looking forward to having a supply of fresh eggs once again.