August 2008

1	Five eggs to start the month :-)   including one from Aggie!
2	We wanted to get the hens into their run by 5pm today.  Salt, Pepper & Tat came running to the food bowls as usual, closely followed by Aggie. However, Clover & Lacey decided to be very difficult and we had a right to-do to finally get them in.
3	Crow was out digging this afternoon when a heavy shower descended.  I found him and five chickens sheltering together in the car pot.  Aggie, as usual, didn't care.  She was still pecking around the lawn - drenched, but still pecking.
4	Happy chicks gave us another 5 eggs, but I wish Lacey would get back to normal.  She's still laying very infrequently.
5	I give up...  There's so much in our garden for the hens to eat - grass, bugs, worms etc but Clover, Lacey and Aggie were seen eating the plant in one of my pots.  Only new chicken-proof plants from now on which probably limits me to box hedge.
6	I haven't seen any moorhens for ages, but a family of three appeared in the garden this evening.  Mum, Dad and youngster I think, the young bird being almost as big as its parents but without its proper feather colouring yet.
7	Would you believe Tat caught a baby rat today?  I can only think that it was a bit dopey and she picked up its tail thinking it was a worm.  She then took off with the rat dangling from her mouth ad the other five in pursuit of what they presumed was some tasty morsel.  That looked very comical.  Fortunately Ron was in the garden with me and we cornered Tat so that she dropped it.  My face must have been a picture when I realised it was still alive as it ran away.  Ron managed to catch and kill it, which was when we could confirm that it was too big for a field mouse, definitely a baby rat.
8	Lacey still sits in the nest for spells and doesn't lay, yet she seems quite happy.
9	Our hens look very bright and sprightly today.
10	An egg from Lacey!  Her first this month.
11	There was some very heavy rain this morning and when I let the hens out, one end of our patio was flooded with about an inch of standing water.  Salt was in the nest, Pepper just ploughed through it, Tat walked through cautiously, Aggie avoided in completely and went via the lawn, Lacey took a couple of steps then went back up the steps to avoid it and Clover followed her getting very wet feathered feet.  With her short legs and our longish grass at the moment, Clover must also have got a wet tummy coming across the lawn.
12	Our greengages are ripening but I'm surprised that when the odd one drops to the ground, the chicks don't eat them.  I would have thought they would like a sweet plum as they go mad for ripe banana, but apparently not.
13	Aggie's so cute.  As soon as she's laid her egg she comes straight to the back door to ask for a treat.
14	Despite being late out of the run, the chicks were little angels and went back in early for me without any fuss.
15	Pepper is just so bold and so naughty.
16	I'm feeding the neighbours doves for the next two weeks.  There seems to be four permanent residents at the moment and they're very pretty.
17	Don't know how she got in but Tat got stuck in the menage.  We were occupied with friends round for lunch.  When we went outside as they were leaving, tat was pacing back and forth, unable to find her way out.  No idea how long she'd been in there.
18	6 eggs!  But I had to lift Aggie out of the nest - she laid but then remained sitting on 3 eggs - and she let me cuddle her and you know what that means...  broodiness on the way.
19	Clover laid her egg on the ground in the run.  Very odd, I wonder why?
20	Not having laid for two days and hugging the nest, Aggie went into the broody pen this evening.
21	Poor Aggie is patrolling around the run, looking for a way into the nest.
22	The run was closed for Aggie but Lacey wanted to be in the nest.  She made a noise to attract my attention.  I went out and she came running across the gravel to meet me, then she followed at my heels to the run, I opened the door and she went straight into the nest and actually laid an egg.
23	Aggie's behaviour is much better today.  She's been around and about with the other chicks, nowhere near the nest but went straight into it at bedtime.  She'll be back to normal tomorrow or the next day.
24	I was picking tomatoes from a hanging basket so I was looking and reaching up.  When I came to move, I nearly fell over Pepper as she had crept up and was standing right between my feet.
25	Aggie was pacing like a caged tiger to get out of the broody pen so I've left the nest open to test her... she stayed out all day and perched after food this evening... and she was still perched after dark, so hopefully she's ok again.
26	Aggie's not broody anymore.  That was a good, quick turn-around.
27	Our house is like a public place - no smoking allowed - so we have a pot outside which is full of sand for butts if someone smokes out there.  It's about 12 inches across at the top.  I found Lacey in it today.
28	Salt & Pepper have found a new favourite place.  They've discovered the dusty, sandy spot behind the tarpaulin fronted shed that used to hold the previous owners garden furniture (I think) in the winter.
29	Night time on the perch and Lacey is sleeping, standing up with her head tucked under her wing.  It's more usual to see ducks like this, rather than chickens.
30	Aggie, poor old girl, is moulting now.
31	I can see everywhere in the garden that Aggie has been. There's a trail of fluffy feathers to mark her tracks.
	eggs this month
	eggs this year