June 2006

1 Hungry headless chickenAlthough broody, Tat hasn't lost her appetite......
2 Got up to find an Aggie egg this morning!  Clever old girl.
3 Titfer 1, Aggie 1, Tat 0
4 Two eggs again, I think they must be competing!  Sadly, Tat is still broody and when she disappeared into her private coop today, the other two were close by.  They seemed a bit perturbed and wandered around the new house making quite a noise.
5 Another double laying.
6 Long ago (well, early last year actually), when Frida was still with us (see About Us if you don't know Frida), Aggie and Frida used to announce when they laid an egg.  Aggie hasn't done this for quite some time, but this morning I thought she was never going to stop!  To listen, click on Aggie's announcement.
7 Tat still broodyChickens can be like kids:  

Aggie & Titfer came out this morning then wanted to be back in the chicken run to lay.  Both went in, but Aggie didn't want to share, so had to let Titfer out.  Titfer went back in later and sat for ages but didn't lay.  

Tat still sitting about broody.

8 Bit worried about Titfer as she hasn't laid for three days.....  Then she proves me wrong, and lays!
10 Tat had a good peck at my shoe before she climbed up on my foot today whilst I was trying to keep her away from the open chicken run door when Titfer was going in to lay.
 

11

 Courgette sentries

Chickens or courgette sentries?

12 Aggie woke us up at 7am doing her announcement.  Don't know why as she hadn't laid an egg, but Titfer had?!?
13 It's Titfer & Tat's anniversary!!!!  We brought them here one year ago today.



14

 3 courgette sentries

Three courgette sentries......
16 Titfer was making a strange singing sound whilst bathing in the sun.  Tried to get a recording, but not sure if it's a good one yet.  Here it is - listen to Titfer's singing.
20 Aggie & Titfer had a little adventure today.  I searched & searched all around the garden and couldn't find them.  This is no mean feat as the bushes are so full now, they can hide underneath them very easily.  Tat was sat on the step, as usual just now.  Finally, in desperation, I started to look further afield and found them having a mini adventure behind the stable block.  Of course, this is a dead end, so they got cornered when I went down there to chase them out.  Although I tried to be gentle, they still got spooked, but finally got the idea and ran past me to get back around to the garden.
21 More adventure as Aggie & Titfer had a brief foray into our paddock.  Fortunately they came out before we lost them forever in the very long grass!
22 Titfer climbed on top of Tat's nest box but I wasn't quick enough to get a photo.
23 Tat saw off pheasant today, chasing it right across the garden.  Funny sight.
24 Aggie spent overnight in the nest, after her evening nosh.  Not a good sign.
25 These hens are worrying me.  Tat is STILL broody - it's a whole month now.  Titfer hasn't laid for three days.  Aggie skipped supper (another bad sign) and went straight into the nest (again) for the night.
26 Well, we're eggless this morning but there's still time and Aggie & Titfer still wanted to be out & about, so not totally broody.... yet......
27 Aggie's still in the nest this morning.  Been there since noon yesterday.  However, there was an egg-shaped present from Titfer this morning!  Aggie wasn't going to come out of the nest voluntarily so we turfed her out at 3pm and she was sitting on an egg which I suspect she laid yesterday.  She spent most of the remaining time trying to get back in.
We're cleaning the run tomorrow so we've let Tat in with Aggie & Titfer for the night.  Both broody hens in the nest without any supper.  Titfer's got the whole treat tray to herself so she thinks Christmas has come early.
28 All hens out for chicken run cleaning, but only after Titfer laid her egg and Tat moved to sit on it.  Two grumpy old women now [three, if you count me ;-)  ]
Decided Tat has been broody for too long so looked for advice on the web regarding what we can do.
29 Aggie in plum treeRight.  Tat got the broody hen treatment.  First, a dip in cold water which I thought she would hate but she really seemed to like.  Then, locked up in her little pen for 48 hours with no nest.  Seems cruel and I really want to let her out but we do need to stop her broodiness.  Checked on her last thing and she's not happy and pecked me very hard.

In the meantime, a BIG, BIG scare early this evening.  I was in the bedroom getting changed when I heard a great deal of noise.  Aggie VERY distressed and vocal and being chased by a large fox.  Not a handsome golden brown beast, but an ugly looking brute.  I raced outside as fast as I could and proceeded to get very upset as I couldn't find Aggie anywhere.  I thought the fox must have got her and ran off.  In the meantime, Crow joined me, having heard the fuss on his way back from the wood.  Aggie had flown right up into the plum tree, clever old girl!  Not sure why the fox didn't go for Titfer as I'm not sure she can fly as well as Aggie, but thank goodness it didn't.  Of course, it then took us a very long time to get Aggie down from the tree and to get Titfer and Aggie into the safety of the chicken run.  At least Tat was safe from all of this, being confined as she was.  Think my heart rate has just about got back to normal now.....
30 No eggs for the last two days, but at last, some normal foraging behaviour today and all three chickens on the top perch of the run tonight, although I've had to block off the nest to ensure this.
  eggs this month
eggs since 1 May 2006