October 2009

1	All the big girls keen to please me, starting the month with a egg from each.
2	Poor Aggie is starting to moult.
3	There are so many feathers in the run, I think we could fill a feather pillow!
4	I guess this is a strong signal from Aggie that she's stopped laying now for the winter.  Probably won't start again until next March.
5	All of our chicks make different noises, Aggie witters, Pepper purrs, Tat chats....
6	... Lacey creaks, Clover talks ...
7	... and Salt is largely silent.
8	Aggie only has two tail feathers left.
9	Aaah, Aggie duck!  The last tail feathers have gone and Aggie is distinctively duck shaped without her proud tail.
11	Locked up today as we were out, I left the chicks demolishing a very large curly kale plant from the tunnel.  Things got out of hand and it's too tough for human consumption.
12	I hate it when the hens moult and get bald patches, like they've been plucked.  It looks like it's sore, but I'm sure it's not.  However, Aggie might be feeling a little chilly at night as she's taken to sleeping in the nest.
13	We have two chicks who hobble a bit, especially when rushing at speed to get treats.  Aggie because she's so old and Salt with her bumblefoot.
14	Sometimes Salt gets a peck from Aggie as if she think Salt is "taking the mickey" with her hobbling.
15	Crow just got all of the chicken run & nest cleared for cleaning when both Tat & Pepper started patrolling around the pen, wanting to be in to lay.  He wasn't best pleased and neither were they!  We tried tempting them with temporary nests in a darkish corner of the car port but that was no-go.  So, we just had to put the nest back together as quickly as possible to relieve their anguish.
17	Clover must have thought it was Xmas this evening.  I hung up two bunches of beetroot leaves and these distracted salt so that Clover managed to have a proper feed.  She still retreated onto the nest perch with Aggie settled in a nest to keep warm.
18	I might have to revoke Clover & Aggie's nest privileges as they've both been pooing in there.
19	We have a sick looking rabbit visiting our garden and the chickens don't seem to notice it at all, nor does the rabbit mind the chickens.  It doesn't always run away when I open the door.  I think it's possibly blind.  When it does get spooked it can't move very quickly.
20	The chicks have had a whale of a time scratching around in the strimmed garden borders and the weeded bedroom border, but sadly no eggs.
21	Chicks have been a bit bored today.  It has rained relentlessly and heavy at times, so a lot of time was spent in the carport and there are no nice bugs or interesting scratchy places in there.
23	Aggie's bald patches are sprouting little fluffy feathers already - cute!
24	Salt, Pepper and Tat are all still laying and looking so healthy with beautiful bright red combs.
26	Pepper grabbed a tasty morsel.  A little jump was rewarded with a daddy-long-legs which had settled on the wall of the house.
27	Clover & Aggie are still sleeping in the hen house at night, Aggie in one of the nest boxes & Clover on the perch - her favourite place is right along at the left hand end.
28	Tat has been very chatty today.
29	Aggie is still taking to the nest at night but Clover stayed out on the top perch tonight.
30	A preening parlour has been set up around a big pot, just outside the door.  All 6 fluffing out their feathers and preening together. How sweet.
31	A 3 egg celebration for Halloween, but a whole month without any eggs from Aggie, Clover or Lacey.  That's the second eggless month for Clover.
	eggs this month
	eggs this year