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| 1 |
Bit of a bad start to the month, only two eggs from Aggie & Clover and a
large but very pale egg laid in the run, broken and eaten.
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| 2 |
The egg laying has gone all peculiar. Tat's obviously broody so not
laying, Lacey isn't broody but she's not laying and Salt or Pepper is laying
a large almost white egg, rather than a brown one. This is very odd.
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| 3 |
I've tried to keep a closer eye on the egg laying today and I think Lacey
has laid and Salt has laid a big brown "normal" egg. So, do
I conclude from this that the recent two big, very pale eggs were Pepper's?
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| 4 |
Back to four eggs today - everyone except Tat and Lacey.
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| 5 |
Did you know... the domestic chicken is believed to be descended from the
red jungle fowl, Gallus Bankiva or Gallus Ferruginus.
The wild ancestors of the chicken were native to China, Indo-China and
India. It was in these parts that the chicken was first domesticated,
possible as long as 7000 years ago.
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| 6 |
Peg day so the hens were locked up until about 4pm, but then they made a
general nuisance of themselves with our remaining guests.
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| 7 |
Clover is so vocal in the mornings. How does a little chick make so
much noise?
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| 8 |
You thought I was joking? Click here
for an example of our morning hen chorus. Bear in mind this is
recorded on a PDA from the bedroom window, about 20 yards distance from the
hen house.
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| 9 |
Still having to get Tat out of the broody pen each day then she's so sweet -
she goes straight back into the broody pen of her own accord at night.
I had to let her in early today as she was just sitting on the step of the
run in the pouring rain.
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| 10 |
I just turned my back for a minute and left the veg garden to get my
watering can from the potting shed and naughty, naughty Salt crept into the
veg garden and ate a carrot top growing in a pot.
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| 11 |
Crow often goes in to tickle the chicks once they've perched in the
evening. He reports that whilst doing this, when he asks Tat if she's
ok (she's still in the broody pen), she seems to respond to her name and
make noises back to him. Is he mad or is he the chicken whisperer?
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| 12 |
We have one of those plastic proggy mats to wipe our feet on before coming
indoors and for some strange reason, the chicks like to sit on it.
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| 13 |
Clover fooled Crow today. She laid her egg whilst he was out running
but she wanted to be back in the nest. So, when Crow returned she ran
towards him at the gate, let out a scream and then ran to the run. He,
of course, let her in thinking she needed to lay. I had to go and get
her out, in the hope that she's won't go broody again.
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| 14 |
I think of Lacey as the little flighty chick, afraid of her own
shadow. However, when I arrived home from shopping she was sunbathing
on the gravel, just inside the gate. I waited, thinking the car would
spook her, and then slowly drove around her. When I parked she was
still laying there in the same spot. Brave, stubborn, stupid?
Take your pick.
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| 15 |
Crow was digging up weeds in the bed outside the bedroom window, so the
chicks, Pepper in particular, overdosed on worms. Then we had to clean
Salts' bottom again. What a messy chick she is.
At last, Lacey has laid another egg giving us a 5 egg day. The trend
won't last though as Aggie is turning broody again...
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| 16 |
We have a large piece of polystyrene and a piece of wood that we use to
block the entrance of the nest to stop broody chicks getting in.
However, Aggie was so desperate today she climbed the ladder and, flapping
her wings to keep her balance, she managed to nudge the wood slightly.
This made the polystyrene drop a couple of inches and once she had a
"sniff" of success she wouldn't give up and persisted until she
knocked the wood away completely and gained access. I've let her stay
in the nest for a while in case she has another egg in her...
Bless little old Aggie. When I lifted her out of the nest at the end
of the day, she'd laid another egg. That's saved her from the broody
pen for one more night.
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| 17 |
We have patio windows in out bedroom and often when the chicks pass they
stop as they catch a reflection of themselves. It was so comical today
when three of them were standing in front of the doors cleaning and
preening, as if it was a mirror.
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| 18 |
Aggie and Tat are in the broody pen together and Aggie gave Tat a very hard
time before they settled. In fact Tat completely turned over their
food bowl in her attempts to get away from Aggie's pecking.
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| 19 |
Tat was very keen to get out of the broody pen and away from Aggie this
morning. Perhaps this is the answer to shake her out of it, but I did
feel for her.
Meanwhile, Lacey was in the nest but when she came out announcing, I think
she had been sitting on Clover's egg. Lacey is now parading around the
lawn, making a noise, fluffing her feathers and picking up bits and throwing
them over her shoulder - these latter two actions being typical broody
signs. No!!! - I can't cope with three broodies at the same time.
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| 20 |
 Pegularity
day and the chicks stay in their run until late afternoon then I let them
out. They all disappeared into the back garden for a dirt bath and a
wander except.... yes, you guessed it..... Pepper, who hung around with the
big crowd of humans hoping for treats.
Even when we all graduated towards the menage to watch the last
"event", she followed and went it there to see what was
happening.
Then, to cap it all, she even got in the group photo at the end.
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| 21 |
When I called the chicks for treats and Pepper didn't come, I should have
known something was wrong. Later, Crow found her outside of the front
gate, by the road.
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| 22 |
We sat watching Tat for quite some time as she stood on the patio seemingly
in a daydream with her eyes closing as if to fall asleep on her feet.
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| 23 |
At last, Tat's no longer brooding...
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| 24 |
... and now Aggie's back to normal too!
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| 25 |
Only one egg today. I don't think the chicks like this kind of heat.
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| 26 |
I can detect the difference between Salt & Pepper's eggs at the
moment. Salt's egg is slightly longer and more pointy than Pepper's.
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| 27 |
Chickens dancing around the lawn, jumping for butterflies and other flying
insects, is such a funny site!
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| 28 |
Pepper's running around chasing blackbirds away.
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| 29 |
Wherever we go in the garden, Pepper is at heels, between our feet, in our
laps - she even came right through the kitchen into the breakfast area
today. I'm sure she's been a dog in a previous life.
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| 30 |
Got a large, very pale egg - could it be Tat's?
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| 31 |
It's confirmed, Tat's up and running after a month off.
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eggs this month |
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eggs this year |