CCCC’s Chickens

A Dorking hen - an ALBC threatened species

Central Carolina Community College, where I am currently enrolled in the Sustainable Agriculture program, has a student farm on it’s Pittsboro Campus that serves as a hands-on learning tool for the Sustainable Agriculture students. Monday my Sustainable Livestock Management class went out for little lesson chickens. We learned some basics about breeds, housing, feed, and also got to clip their flight feathers after their recent yearly molt.

The CCCC Student Farm flock

The hens (and one rooster) are rotated throughout the two acre student farm during the year and help fertilize the beds. The coop is constructed so as to be easily lifted and moved by a few people. It also has axles so that even one person can move the whole coop with little effort.

A hen in one of the nest boxes

The coop has four next boxes, sticking to the general rule of one nest box for every three to four hens (they have a flock of 12). The eggs are sold to CCCC students, faculty, and staff. The farm also runs a CSA available to the CCCC community and greater Pittsboro community.

Clipping a hen's flight feathers

Every year chickens moult, a process in which they drop most of their feathers and grow new ones. Right after your flock moults its a good idea to clip their flight feathers to prevent them from getting out of their yard. The clipping is a really easy process: you grab a chicken and flip it upside down, holding both feet in one hand with a finger or two in between the legs to keep them from squeezing together. Next you swing the chicken gently back and forth until it calms. Finally you snip the first three or four primary feathers off of each wing with a sharp pair of scissors (this shouldn’t cause the chicken any pain).

It was fun to get out and play with the chickens for a little while today, even if I did get some chicken poop on my pants. I really enjoyed the Dorkings, they were very friendly and docile (if a bit stupid) and seeing as they are listed as threatened by the ALBC10, they are definitely a breed that I would consider raising.

The CCCC rooster (of unidentifiable lineage)