January 2010

1	Poor chicks greeted by snow again this morning.  As the thaw started, they ventured out and a brave Clover led them over some snow in the garden to get under the fir tree and then around the bamboo.  One of them (Tat, I think) tried to dirt bathe at the bamboo, but there's not really enough dust there. Meanwhile, I'm sure a rat (or rats) are about in the night eating the chicken pellets, but they are not nibbling any of my rat poison.
2	I cleaned up the nest a little earlier than usual today and Salt came and stood patiently but determinedly beside me.  At first I couldn't figure out why.  Then when I finished the housekeeping, in she went as if to lay.  She wasn't in there very long and there wasn't an egg but I take comfort in the fact that she must have been thinking about it and at least she's remembered that the nest isn't just a glorified poo palace. Now I've read in my chicken magazine what horrible, horrible things rats can do to chickens overnight.  While they roost, rats can bite their toes or legs off and pull out their feathers for nesting material.  My poison doesn't seem to be getting disturbed so I'm trying it in a different position.
3	Crow let the hens out this morning and looked for an egg but was disappointed.  However, when I went to clean out the poo I found the tiniest of eggs, smaller then a 10p piece.  So Salt is trying to kick start her laying season. We curiously broke it open later to find mostly albumen with the tiniest yolk in the world, smaller than the head of a drawing pin.  We laughed out loud and I just had to take pics so you could share in the fun.  Forget pin the tail on the donkey, let's play spot the yolk. Don't really think I can add this to the egg count. Think I found a rat hole today, so I've put poison down in and covered it with a heavy stone, like my magazine recommended.  At last, something is eating the rat poison, I just hope it's a rat!
4	She did it!  Salt laid a Grade A extra large egg today and doesn't she know it.  She's run up to me whenever I appeared outdoors, hoping for an extra treat, and tonight she's roosting on the outdoor perches with Clover & Lacey.  It's as if she saying "that nest's for laying in, not for sleeping in". Another rat hole bunged up and three days running, the rat poison has been nibbled, since I started putting a tempting few chicken pellets on top of it.  Should find a dead body soon.
5	Another egg!  I didn't really expect two in a row at start-up time.  Heaps of praise lavished on Salt, then both Salt & Pepper roost on the outside perches, so are we being unfair and thoday's egg is from Pepper? I made a comment about Tat trying to dirt bathe close up to the bamboo.  I think I was wrong.  Inside the massive bamboo, there's some dead grassy stuff (almost like straw) and the chicks have been pulling this out and making a sort of nest around the bamboo to snuggle down onto.  I now think this is what I saw Tat doing.  It probably makes the ground a little warmer in this freezing weather.
6	No real chickie news as they are once again self-imposed imprisonment in their run by the snow.  However, I've just watched a poor moorhen, in search of food, wade its way up to its belly in snow to see if there are any fat ball crumbs under the bird table.  The snow is so deep , a moorhen looks like its got no legs.  Later the moorhens were scratching around under the fir trees looking like they were wearing white wellies.  We put some corn under there for them as all of their normal food sources are buried deep in the snow.
7	11:00 There will be trouble when this snow disappears.  A pair of moorhens were under the fir trees, one feasting on the corn, the other settling down and sitting comfortably nearby.  That's the first time I've ever seen a moorhen sit down and just where the hens like to settle. 13:00  Just been out to check the post and get supplies from the freezer.  Gave the hens a sultana treat and collected an egg.  Salt is bored and ever searching for extra treats so when I went to the front gate she hopped out onto the piece of garden to the left of the run which is not too snow covered.  Then, I went in the opposite direction to the stables and when I came back Salt was out in the deep snow to the right of the run, feet disappearing from view.  Sadly, I had to herd her back in and close the doors for fear she would wander around and get frostbite.  She's one bored chicken.
8	What can I say?  Just collected Salt's fourth egg of the week.  Once she starts, she just can't stop!
9	Salt had been exploring again, she has a tendency to follow us when we go out there and with more snowfall last night, not only her feet, but her legs disappeared.  A few sultanas soon got her back in the run to safety.  I took a photo of her but it was stuck on my phone,  Fortunately, Crow wouldn't be beaten and he eventually got the Bluetooth connection to work successfully. Hold on, two eggs today and Salt & Pepper both eating for England.  I'll have to review the last four eggs to see if, with hindsight, I think some of then are from Pepper.
10	Ok, I've reviewed the eggs and I still think 5 are from Salt and that Pepper laid her first of the year yesterday.  Chicks going stir crazy today so Crow cleared a bit of snow so they could get onto the piece of garden to the left of the run and have a scratch around.  It's a section of garden with open shrubs and the snow had melted underneath.  Later, four of them made a dash across the snow to the car port where they could also wander along past the stables and into the barn.
11	Talking about porridge on this month's main page yesterday, we give our hens some oats on top on their layers pellets each night.  They love them too!
12	Chicks made a hop, skip & jump for the back garden this morning, where the snow has thawed most and happily scratched away under the bushes for bugs etc., Salt & Pepper getting quite dirty in the process.  Then somehow (didn't see it happen) they got round to the front and under the fir trees which meant crossing snow.  Time for bed and Salt & Pepper came running at the sound of treats and the rattling food bowls.  However, the other four were stranded, not able to figure out how to cross the snow.  Crow (softie that he is) cleared a path across the lawn for them but then they still needed herding across it to get to the patio and back to their pen.
13	Aggie (obviously not old & wise) and Clover, bird brained again, got stranded on the back lawn at tea time.  Clover kept walking along a dead-end path and stopping at the snow and turning back.  Another path had to be cleared to provide a way home for the night.
14	I'm so glad Pepper's back to her old cuddly self.  Twice she's been into the lobby today in search of the sultana bag and twice I've picked her up for a cuddle and she doesn't mind one little bit.
15	Have you ever observed chickens out in a free range environment and noticed their "scratchy dance"?
16	If you have, I'm sure you'll agree this is hilarious.  If you don't email me to tell me you laughed out loud I will seriously think you've had a humour bypass.
17	Eggs seem to be a bit hit & miss with only one in the last five days...
18	... but Tat's appetite is up now so perhaps she's about to join the productive hen club.
19	Poor Aggie is still hobbling around on her poorly left leg so she was allowed into the nest overnight as she doesn't foul it up.
20	Aggie, Clover & Tat made a dive for the nest this evening.  I lifted Clover out and then got Tat to move (boy, are her feathers so soft and deep).  But, Clover was being victimised by salt to I relented and let her back in so she could get some peace.
21	Three of "our" moorhens are getting quite bold.  They mix in very closely with the chickens, visit the run to steal layers pellets and sometimes don't flee when I go outside.
22	Two eggs today and I'm suspecting that Tat has laid, but I'll never know for sure until we have a 3-egg day.
23	Today's egg was laid by Pepper because I observed her in the nest.
24	A strangely behaved Salt made sure I knew that today's egg belonged to her.  She clucked around and sat in some odd places before finally laying very swiftly in the nest.
25	If we go out and pull the door to, but don't close it properly, Pepper has discovered she can push at it and get in to find the raisin bag.
26	Slightly late today, when I went out to feed and water the girls they were all in the run with a moorhen!
27	Aggie seems to have a good appetite just now, but it's a bit early for her to start laying again.  She usually waits until mid March.
28	I am such a big softie.  Mild night tonight so I blocked the nest to make the chicks perch, but when I went out around 9pm to unblock it ready for dawn activity Aggie was on the second perch, all by herself and in the direct poo path of one of the big girls.  I picked Aggie up and put her on the ladder to the nest.  She scampered up and I stood in the rain, shining the torch for her until she settled.  You must think I'm mad.
29	Overnight temperatures are back to sub-zero so all hens allowed in the nest overnight again, although Lacey still stays out.
30	I've changed my mind.  I'm pretty sure Tat is not laying yet.
31	Scores on the doors:  Salt 15, Pepper 11 (I think - I've had to guess the layer on some days)
	eggs this month
	eggs this year