Cluck Yeah! The Chicken Have Returned to campus
This week, Farmer Tom traveled to Bowdoinham, Maine to pick up 200 sixteen-week-old chickens. The birds had already made a long journey, traveling up from Pennsylvania, where they were raised by an Amish farmer before being delivered to Maine for pickup.
They are a breed known as Novogen, valued for their strong foraging instincts and impressive egg production. If all goes as planned, they should begin laying in the next three to five weeks, and their eggs will be available in the Farm Store soon after.
Once back on the farm, Tom settled them into a newly constructed mobile chicken coop, where they will be raised on pasture. After ensuring they had food and water, he kept them inside the coop for 48 hours. This settling-in period helps the chickens get comfortable in their new environment, choose a preferred nest box and find a roosting spot.
Early Friday morning, Tom returned to set up plastic construction fencing around the coop, securing it to the ground to prevent the chickens from slipping underneath. With everything in place, he opened the door and let the birds step out into their new pasture for the first time.
For the first week, limiting access beneath the coop is essential. Tom is training the chickens to return to the coop at sundown, where they are safe from predators. It typically takes three to four nights for the entire flock to learn the routine.
On the first night, as many as 170 birds may need to be assisted back into the coop. By the second night, that number drops to around 100. By the third, only 30 to 40 need help. By the fourth night, the entire flock is usually making their way inside on their own.