February 2007

1 Titfer started another new month perfectly by laying an egg!
2 Fearless Muppet has taken to pecking Aggie!  In fact, she's getting a bit out of hand.
3 The hens were locked up today as we were going out.  Thankfully, whilst in my view, they were all very settled & quiet.  One very funny site - three white hens on the outer perches, Muppet & Lacey in the leftmost nest, both looking out at them through the window.
4 Muppet has started crowing - is she a boy?  I'm potentially very upset as she's my favourite, but we don't want a cockerel in the coop.  So maybe Muppet will have to go back...   :-(((
5 Muppet is being so aggressive, we've had to separate him/her into our toblerone pen, to stop attacks on the other chicks.  Yet when picked up, Muppet sits quite happily in our arms and enjoys a cuddle.  I guess that's because we are the dominant "hen" when this is done?
6 It's more or less official and I'm heartbroken.  I spoke to our bantam provider who confirmed it is extremely difficult to sex a Polish bantam and that he would have expected our Polish (Muppet) to lay before Lacey.  He even said that it is possible for them to change sex?!?  He'll do a swap.  I've been trying to prepare myself for this eventuality, but I'm still shedding a tear.
7 I just can't let Muppet go until I've got some final photos and a video of the crowing, so I've been out with the camera this morning.  Funny little Muppet couldn't seem to figure out how to get out of the toblerone pen when I opened the door.  So crowing ensued and eventually I had to lift him out - silly little one.  Reaction of the white hens definitely suggests a cockerel around, as they physically shy away when the crowing starts.
With up to 7cm of snow forecast for tonight, I had hoped to let Muppet back into the main hen house for the night as he's spent a fairly quiet day with the hens.  However, when I caught him cornering and terrorising Aggie later, I realised he'd have to be separated again.  I think he makes a bee-line for Aggie because Lacey is much smaller than him and Titfer & Tat are much bigger.  Muppet's grown to about Aggie's size and she probably looks like the perfect mate to one so inexperienced.  Can't have the poor old lady harassed by an over eager young cockerel!
8 If you want to see and hear Muppet crowing, then right click here to download clip.
To just hear him, click Muppet crowing.

Our hens don't like the snow!  I've opened up the kennel doors and they won't come out.  That's so unusual - it's normal to get out of the way or get knocked over in the rush.  Muppet & Lacey have had a brief foray and then returned.  The white threesome won't set foot outside.  Perhaps they fear they'll disappear?
9 Muppet had such a peaceful day with the other girls yesterday that I thought he might spend his last night at Longfield in the hen house with them.  However, a very savage attack on Aggie just before 4pm meant I had to isolate him again.  He attacked Aggie and ripped feathers out of her tail.  Then he pursued her, jumped on her back and just wouldn't let go.  I actually had to intervene and separate them.  I know nature can be cruel and he's probably only doing what cockerels do, but I never did accept "it's what men do" as an excuse on Men Behaving Badly either!
Poor Lacey is now getting a bit of a bullying from Titfer though, as she has lost Muppet as her protector.  However, that's just a few hen pecks, which is mild in comparison.
10 CloverIt was heart-rending to say goodbye to Muppet, but I didn't want to spend my days policing his attacks and I think he would probably have become more aggressive with age.

And now, it's hello to Muppet's replacement.  

Meet Clover - our new lavender Pekin bantam.

Of course, we'll have to police the bedtime activities as everyone will want to peck Clover.

11 Obviously, everyone but Clover was locked out of the pen today, while she learns that this is her new home.  Titfer has made such a noise all day, you wouldn't believe it!  Eventually she went into the nest and laid a egg.  Now she's croaking a bit - I did warn her she'd get a sore throat.  She's determined to have a go at Clover and Aggie is back to pecking Titfer, now that she's not subdued by Muppet.  Tat & Lacey seem quite indifferent to the new arrival.
12 Clover is not eating or drinking.  I did get her to eat a little bit of corn from my hand, but I haven't seen her drink anything which is a bit worrying.  I guess she's lonely and pining for the fifty or more little friends she's used to having around.  Instead she's just got these great big bully hens to contend with.
Clover is sleeping alone on the outside perch tonight as Titfer wouldn't let her into the nest.  Fortunately, it's not too cold.
13 All the girls were in the pen together until 2pm, then Clover had her  first outing.  She didn't rush out with the others, so we just left her and eventually she ventured abroad.  She's still not eating a lot but she is drinking now.  Part of the trouble is that she doesn't seem to recognise anything but corn as food.  (Corm seemed to be the only thing the breeder was feeding his hens.)  We need to get her on to layers mash/pellets to promote egg laying.   Apparently, too much corn is bad for egg laying.
Crow spent ages settling all five chicks in the nest at bedtime, mainly trying to stop Titfer attacking Clover.  Alas, by 6:15, Clover had been bullied and was alone again on the outside top perch.
14 Tonight, we've separated Titfer & Tat from the others.  They are banished to the outside perches and Aggie, Lacey & Clover are sharing the nest.  Hopefully, if Aggie befriends Clover, she will help to protect her from Titfer.
15 Aggie, Tat & Lacey went next door when Titfer was in nest laying.  She got quite upset when she came out, but eventually the other three found their way back.
16 Giant steps for Clover today.  First, she came out for corn with the big girls - Titfer made sure she didn't get any, but she tried!  Then all five went next door, including Clover!  When they came back, silly Tat got left behind and couldn't find her way.  It took us ages to get her back and we had to make an even bigger hole in the fence to achieve this.  Despite a hasty repair of the worst part, we need to seriously consider a more secure fence.
17 All quiet on the wandering front today.  The hens spent most of the day sitting in the sun under their favourite fir tree.
18 Aggie slept outside with Titfer & Tat tonight.
19 Wander lust is back - Aggie went straight into the paddock this morning, then later Lacey went next door.  (She's still small enough to get through the trellis almost anywhere.)  Then Tat got hungry and jumped up onto the table outside the study window to call for food!
20 Titfer's got competition - Tat laid her first 2007 egg!
21 Tried to get all of the chicks to sleep on the outside perches but Clover got very distressed and started flying against the wire to try to get to the nest.  I had to relent and let her in.  What a softie!
22 Need to integrate the hens overnight now because poor Tat laid an egg on the ground early this morning as the big chicks can't access the nest until I let them out.
So, I sneaked into the run at 17:30 when Clover & Lacey were in the nest and Aggie, Titfer & Tat were already perched and settled and removed the temporary partition.
23 Despite the fact that Clover went to bed in the nest before the big girls returned to the run, I decided I couldn't quite trust them so I was in & out with the partition until they were settled.
24 A bold tat came into the lobby to say hello this morning.
25 I thought Aggie was going to lay an egg today, but I was wrong.
26 Aggie, Lacey & Clover still paying visits next door.
27 Chicks locked in the run all day as we were out & about.  Just as well though, they could get foot rot in all of this incessant rain.
28 This month:  Titfer 17, Tat 6 but Tat's fully up and running, both laid 6 eggs each in the last nine days.
eggs this month
eggs since 1 May 2006