Hanaeleh has three resident chickens on the property- Samantha (4 years), Ursula (1 year) and Endora (1 year). All three are named after the characters in the television sitcom Bewitched.
All three hens are leghorns and do lay eggs. They are very helpful around the ranch, however, as they eat icky bugs that would otherwise get into the grain. They have their own coop and will wander around the ranch when our volunteers are there (we don’t let them wander about when no one is around- we don’t want them to get eaten by neighbor dogs or coyotes).
Chickens are very fun- they can be held and petted, but they are most fun to just watch. They will also come when we call them to dinner! Chickens have been used for therapy as well- they not only help to reduce stress but they also help to lower blood pressure. Plus, as they eat a healthy diet of bugs and organic mash, their eggs are almost double what you would purchase in the store, and taste much better!
Ursula and Endora acting like typical teenagers by locking Samantha out of the coop.
Endora and Samantha looking for bugs.
Endora and Ursula at two weeks old