| 1 |
Off and running for the new year, an egg each from Frida and Ginger. |
| 2 |
So, let's bring you up to date with the hen situation. Five girls at
the moment:
Tat
Big Mamma Tat, full sized Light Sussex and been with us since June 2005, so
now over six years old, quite a long life for a full sized hen. Still
laying last year, she moulted in November and has stopped laying for the
winter. |
| 3 |
Clover
Tiny little Clover, a lavender Pekin bantam, been with us five years next
month. Very cute but gave up laying about two years ago, so is now
purely ornamental and just survives on her good looks and the fact that
she's not big enough to make a meal (JOKE!). |
| 4 |
Aggie 2
Joined us on 9 August 2010, the day our precious original , very loved and
very ancient Aggie elft us. An impulse purchase that had dire
consequences as she brought disease (but that's another story). She's
magnificent, did lay, but now thinks she's a boy, has grown a magnificent
comb and wattles, developed a strut and pose, tries to mate with Ginger and
sometimes crows. |
| 5 |
Frida 2
Aggie's sister, also arriving on 9 August 2010, an Amber with beautiful
brown markings. Lays like a trojan. |
| 6 |
Ginger
A hybrid cross of Leghorn, Light Sussex and Rhode island Red, bred for egg
laying and that she certainly does to excess! Arrived in June 2011
with her sister Honey (who sadly escaped - yet another story to catch up on
later). |
| 7 |
Seven days in and 14 eggs - Ginger & Frida are such good little girls! |
| 8 |
Let me tell you about Ginger's morning ritual. The chicks have no food
overnight, otherwise we attract rats - not good for us or the hens. So
they are very keen to get to the food bowls which I put in the carport.
When I let them out, they all race over to the bowls and Ginger, being the
newest incumbent, still gets pecked away to wait her turn. At this
point I am collecting the eggs from the nest. Ginger then accompanies
me to the house and I throw some pellets and corn on the grass for her
private breakfast. Soon after that, the others all come rushing over
to see what Ginger has found, push her aside and she goes to the food bowls
to finish eating her fill. |
| 9 |
Old Tat had taken to sleeping in the nest every night which is not good for
hygiene, despite the fact that I remove her poo every day. So lately
I've been making her perch with the others overnight. She seemed quite
happy but this morning, she's not herself. She didn't want to leave
the run to get breakfast, when she did she was very slow and one leg seems a
bit weak. Old age is probably kicking in, so this may sadly be her
last year with us and I've concluded that 'll have to let her use the nest
at night. |
| 10 |
I thought we were eggless today but I found that Ginger had laid her egg
under the "outdoor" perches, rather than in the nest. Must have taken
her by surprise. |
| 11 |
Ginger was like a little dog this morning, not a chicken. I only found
a Frida egg in the nest so I diverted from the usual ritual, went around the
side of the run and was studying the wood shavings to see if she had laid
there again. An impatient little Ginger came running right up to my
side, looked at me and then ran towards the back door, as if to encourage me
to hurry up and follow to get her breakfast. |
| 12 |
I know I still haven't told you Aggie's full story, but the end result is
that she now seems to think she is a cockerel. She poses and struts,
has grown a large comb and wattles and is caught trying to mate with Ginger
on occasion. |
| 13 |
Ginger and Aggie are joined at the hip today - we call them
girlfriend-boyfriend when they are like this. There may be
hanky-panky... |
| 14 |
Aggie trying to mate with Frida today, whilst Ginger and Clover observed.
Naughty, naughty! |
| 15 |
Reports of Aggie crowing this morning. |
| 16 |
Frida looking a bit sad this morning, very slow and not eating any breakfast
and a third day without an egg. What is my poor chick ailing for? |
| 17 |
Aggie & Ginger have dug a hole under the bushes in the back garden and
snuggled up together in it. Aaaah. |
| 18 |
Chicken fact: There are over 150 varieties of domestic chickens. |
| 19 |
All the girls sheltering in the car port as it is pouring with rain.
Tat looked quite cute, tucked away under the table between the black bin bag
and a big cardboard box. |
| 20 |
Frida's up and running again, laying an egg after her little 6 day holiday. |
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eggs this month |
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eggs this year |