January 2008

1 The honour of the first egg of the new year goes to Lacey, first thing this morning.  Then Pepper laid right at the end of the day.
2 Clover comes running out with everyone else now, so hopefully the broody spell is mainly over, although she still tends to head for the nest at bedtime.  She probably just enjoys that cuddle I give her when I lift her out.
3 Did you know that.....  the chicken is one of the closest living relatives of Tyrannosaurus Rex.
4 Locked up yesterday so very happy to be out  & about today, with all 6 hanging around together except for a short spell when Tat & Clover went off to snuggle together in a dirt bath.
5 New fluffy feathered TatLook at Tat's beautiful new neck feathers and clean, fluffy bottom -->
6 I took such a beautiful close-up of Aggie today that I've already made it my pic of the month.
7 Our three layers are doing very well so far this month.  They've each laid 6 eggs in 7 days.
8 Salt & Pepper hung out with me whilst I cleaned the cars, ever hopeful that I might be hiding tasty morsels about my person.
9 Did you watch Hugh's Chicken Run on the last three evenings?  Have you vowed only to buy free range chicken produce from now on?  I really hope so.......
On the same theme, watch out for Jamie's Fowl Dinners on Friday 11th, Channel 4, 21:00.
10 Tat and Aggie settled in the nest for the night and when Crow went to throw them out, Tat made sad sounds so he left them.  What a softie!
11 When we scatter raisins for the chicks, Salt & Pepper are so fast that they get almost every one, every time.  Clever Tat has learnt that if she just stands close to us, we will throw some to distract Salt & Pepper, then she can have some directly from our hands.
12 Pepper had her first taste of banana and she went mad for it, stealing big lumps and running away to eat them so that the others couldn't share.
13 Pepper came running so fast around the end of the bungalow that she slipped on some wet leaves, skidded and fell over - silly chick.
A big day for Tat as she started laying again, marking a full recovery from her moult.
14 Another 4 egg day - quite a tricky affair as it was time to clean out the run and we got held up by laying hens!
15 Yet more rain and Clover doesn't like it.  She had a little wander but then went for shelter and perked in the run.  The five others don't seem to care how wet and dirty they get.
16 Checked out Salt's bumblefoot today.  Although I suspect she will always have a lump, it looks a little smaller than it did and it no longer has a nasty sore on it.  Above all, Salt seems totally oblivious to it.
17 Pepper's turn for a check and although laying and very active, she doesn't seem to be quite as fat as Salt.  Too much energy spent racing around trying to beg food from us, no doubt.
18 Tat and Lacey lay togetherJust how cosy is this?  Tat and Lacey like to lay together.

That's the second time this week I've seen them in the nest together.

19 Relentless rain all day and even Clover stayed out in it, but she was so wet by bedtime that she seemed to struggle to get up the perches.
20 Chicken thought for the day:  it is estimated that there are 3,000,000,000 chickens in China, the largest number in any single country in the world.
21 Oh dear, two lovely brown eggs and no way to tell who laid them.
22 Back to four eggs, so no mystery today.
23 I haven't seen the chicks today as I've been out but Crow tells me he didn't give them any treats.  Should I believe him?
24 They got treats today because I just can't resist them when they come calling on the table under the study window.
25 Clover's a funny little bird.  When I came back from the gym, Tat was in the nest laying and Clover was sitting on the nest perch, just keeping her company.  When Tat finished, Clover came out with her.
26 Lacey still gets bolder.  She's on the table under the study window with Salt and I'm talking to them with the window open when Lacey jumped up onto the window sill.  Pepper tried this once, a while ago, and of course she's too big but Lacey can stand on the narrow sill quite nicely.
27 The chicks, especially Salt & Pepper,  have had a real adventure today, visiting the fruit cage, paddock, tunnel & menage.  Crow was laying the first slabs around the fruit cage so we emptied it of pots and of course, Pepper had to come and see what we were up to.  She settled for a scratch around in the empty fruit cage, quickly followed by Salt.  In the meantime, Aggie, Tat, Clover and Lacey foraged in the menage, then Tat and Lacey joined Salt & Pepper.  Aggie and Clover couldn't seem to figure out how to get there.   When my back was turned, Salt & Pepper found their way into my net tunnel and I quickly ushered them out before they started to eat the remaining red cabbage.
Later we sat down for a coffee while Salt, Pepper, tat & Lacey were still in the paddock.  Once they spotted us and the chance of a potential treat, they got very agitated as they couldn't find their way back.  This wasn't helped by Lacey squeezing through the wire fence, leaving the three big girls unable to follow.  They kept trying and so Crow had to go and rescue them, lifting them back over the fence,  before they hurt themselves.  What a fuss!
28 Is something visiting the chicken run overnight and eating their food?  I'm finding their food bowls are completely empty in the mornings which is not normal.
29 Chicks were a little neglected today, as we were so busy in the garden.
30 Our chicks aren't bird brained!  Lacey came straight from the nest and jumped up on the table under the study window and called for a reward.  She didn't get one, but 10/10 for trying.
31 Scores on the doors:  Salt 29, Pepper 26, Lacey 22, Tat 12.  

Didn't I say recently that Salt is the new Tat?

eggs this month
eggs this year