July 2007

1 The three white chicks started the month off well with an egg each.
2 It's Tat's day off - she made it to 89 and on the 90th day, she rested.  So did Titfer, not sure what her excuse is.
3 Broody Aggie allowed Crow to pick her up and carry her around, then she sat in his lap.  The rest of the afternoon she spent pecking and bullying Clover whenever she wandered remotely in the direction of the run.  Later Aggie broke into the blocked off nest, so we had bring out the toblerone pen as we thought she was being too aggressive to put with Clover.
4 The chicks all started the day being fascinated with the toblerone.  They all tried it out and at some point, Clover, Aggie & Titfer all perched on top of it!
Broody seems to be the in thing.  Now Titfer's turning.  Having laid, she's been frantic to get back to the nest all afternoon.  When we let her back into the run, with the nest blocked off, she started to fly up on top of the nest box so we've had to shut her in the broody pen with Clover, for fear that she would hurt herself.
5 Strangely Titfer is ok again but only Tat the fantastic laid.
6 Lacey is trying for an overnight nest now.  Clover may have stayed out if she hadn't been bullied off the perches, so she's back in with Aggie.
7 Lacey laid but I had to throw her out of the nest.  Aggie & Clover are still broody.
8 Moorhen bridgesTwo moorhens with 3 fluffy chicks have taken up residence in a nest on our pond and look what the clever parents have done to help the chicks across the water -->

They've built bridges by dragging pampas fronds across the garden, then across the pond!
9 Aggie didn't try to get into the nest all day but then tried to go in for an overnight stay so she's still with Clover in the broody pen and now we have a broody Lacey in the triangle pen too!
10 Tat jumped up on the table today when it was "full" and tipped Crow's toolbox over.  Oops, he wasn't amused.........
11 Well, Clover, Aggie & Lacey have spent all day foraging and not looking for the nest.  However, Clover went straight to the nest when I opened up the run at bedtime, but Aggie & Lacey were ok.
12 Hurrah!  Aggie & Lacey were not in the nest when I got up this morning so only one broody Clover now.  During the day we had a stoat/rabbit affair in the garden which quite spooked the chicks.  They all went on alert for some time, standing very upright, making warning clucks and sticking together.
13 Chicks on red alert as the stoat made another visit.  Spotted it going under the pampas grass, a favourite refuge for the moorhens.  I think the stoat may have killed the moorhen chicks as mummy hen seemed to spend a lot of time peeping and searching.  Very sad.
Cleaned out the chicken run and left Clover out with the brood tonight.  Bet she's in the nest in the morning!
14 I'm very happy to be wrong this morning as Clover is not in the nest.  At last, we have no broody hens - but who knows for how long?
15 It's so wonderful not to have broody chicks and to see them all wandering happily around together.
16 Only one egg today and from Titfer!  I conducted an experiment at 17:15 and 17:40 to see if I could get the hens into the run for their treats at a time that suited me.  As they are often hanging around waiting at about 17:30 I thought this might be easy, but the experiment failed.
17 Poor chicks weren't happy as they had to stay locked up all day as we wanted to go out at 17:20.  Hence yesterday's experiment!  I did warn them about this yesterday but they still wouldn't comply.  Either that or I was speaking the wrong chicken dialect!  Anyway, I was punished with another single egg day, this time from Tat.
18 4 eggs today but whose?  Well, certainly Titfer & Tat and probably Aggie and maybe Clover?
19 4 eggs again, looking like they're from the same hens as yesterday's.
20 4 eggs & definitely one each from Lacey & Aggie, so I now think it's Lacey whose been laying, not Clover - she just fooled me by not laying eggs with her usual little white spots on them.
21 I still don't think that Clover is laying yet, but she is eating well!  Poor Titfer has sat in the nest today and yesterday, but failed to produce.
22 I'm looking after the neighbours Doves this week - just topping up food and water.
23 Now I know Clover definitely hasn't been laying recently as we've had a Clover egg this morning.  Well, I say egg, but it's so small it probably contravenes an EU regulation to describe it as one!
Good girls went in early when rain set in.
24 Titfer's having an egg laying rest.  She looks very healthy, her comb is bright red, she sits in the nest for an appropriate time each day, but she doesn't produce an egg.  Very curious.
25 Everyone laid except Titfer.
26 I know it's not chicken talk, but it's my last day of looking after the doves and I counted ten this morning, waiting for their food.
27 Titfer's still resting and "vanting to be alone", Clover & Lacey have been for a jolly next door and Aggie had one of her senior moments, leaving the nest before laying and sitting in all of the available pots before returning to the nest to lay.
28 Clover is so quick to jump in my lap for treats and she was like lightning today for some cheesy topped bread roll.  Titfer took sultanas from me today, but kept dropping them and not attempting to eat them.  Is something wrong?
29 Worried of Longfield here.  Titfer is not looking at all well.
30 Poor, poor Titfer.  She looks decidedly uncomfortable and keeps making jerky movements.  How can I describe this - it's like when you have a muscle twitching that you just can't control?  I lifted her out of the hen house this morning where she was standing on the perch.  She's very docile and let me stroke her and didn't object to being picked up.  I presume if something was hurting, she would peck me to stop me touching her.  She's not eaten anything at all for a couple of days but at least she drank a lot of water this evening.
31 Took Titfer to the vet today.  She's got a very distended crop and has lost weight.  It seems she can hardly eat & drink at all.  We brought her home for one last night before we say goodbye to her tomorrow.  We're so very sad.
eggs this month
eggs this year