September 2006

1 Does Aggie want to be top hen this month?  She was in the nest early to ensure she laid the first September egg.
2 Had some fun feeding the chicks tomatoes in the garden.  You already know tomatoes are their favourites and with outdoor bush plants, I always get a few which touch the soil and are damaged.  I was very fair and always gave them one each, but it was very funny how they all ran off in different directions with their treat and when they had eaten it, each one came back and checked that the others didn't have any more.
3 Hungry hens tonight because they've been sheltering under the bushes - I don't think they like strong winds.
4 Aggie wasn't interested in the treat tray or going in the run tonight as she discovered an ants nest and was too happily feasting on fresh insects.  When she eventually joined the young ones, they got a pecking because the tray was empty - she's such a bully!
5 Naughty, naughty, naughty (3 of them) chickens went into my vegetable garden and dug things up!  OK, ok, I should've made sure the gate was closed properly, I guess they were just doing what chickens do......
6 Tat 040906Tat - still continuing as champion layer, every day this month so far.

And what a monster egg she laid today!!!

It's so big, I can't close the large egg box by a long way.

7 Little old Aggie laid today but then settled into the nest at about 19:30.  Surely she can't be getting broody again?  Immediate anti-broody action was required, just in case, so I removed her from the nest and blocked it up.  She let me stroke & pet her for a long time after lifting her out - another broody sign.  By nightfall she was safety roosting on the top perch with the others, but I'll have to be up early to open the nest for Tat  :-(
8 Aggie didn't go into the nest this morning and was dying to get out of the run for the day, but then she tried to settle in the nest at 17:00.  Thrown out again at 19:00 for the night.
9 Aggie foxed me today.  Although she didn't go straight into the nest when I opened it up at 7, she was in there within an hour.  Tat had laid by 10 and Aggie was still in there at 11.  We were going out and needed to leave the nest open for Titfer so we got the broody pen ready to isolate Aggie.  Blow me, when I picked her up, she had laid an egg!  So we didn't have the heart to put her in the broody pen.....  She was back in the nest before we left and still in there when we got back at midnight..... 
10 ..... and still there until I threw her out at 10 this morning.  Then, a mystery...... there was an empty egg shell in the chicken run this morning.  We'll never know what's happened but I do know that if you drop an egg near the hens, they will eat it.  Cannibals!  However, this egg wasn't smashed so it can't be that one of them laid from the perch and it dropped to the ground...  and I've never known them to peck the shell to break it...  and we left them plenty of food and there was still some left, so they weren't ravenous.  I wonder if a rat was involved as there seem to be a few about at the moment.
11 Well, Aggie's definitely broody again - it must be her age!  She clucks a lot and lets you get close and constantly tries to get into the nest. 
12 Five trays of rat poison out overnight, once the chicks were in the safety of their run.
13 Hungry rat!!  Lots of poison consumed but can't find a dead body......
I'm a bit concerned about Titfer.  She looks ok but she hasn't laid for three days, even though she seems to have sat in the nest for a few hours and tried to.
14 Mr Rat has been in the chicken run during the night and gnawed the edge of the chicks feeding pod.  I've had to remove it this morning as it's quite sharp and I'm afraid the hens will hurt themselves.
Still no Titfer egg :-(
15 Well, Titfer's not laying but she's definitely not broody.  In fact, she is not interested in going into the nest at all.  She looks healthy enough so she must just be having an egg holiday.
16 Titfer & Tat laid today, but Aggie's still broody.  Titfer sang a lot after she laid, but I still haven't got a recording.
17 Naughty, naughty, naughty chickens (haven't I said this before?) again!  This time scratching up and eating the grass seed where the garden deer was.
18 Outside of our study window, we have a connected wooden table with a seat either side.  When I went out to get the treat tray at about 17:30, Titfer & Tat were lying in wait and followed me back to the door.  Crow stuck his head out of the study window and started to talk to them.  Tat jumped up onto the table to get closer, presumably because she thought he would have food!  Cheeky girl - she's definitely the friendliest of the threesome.
19 Hens are social animals.  When we sit out at the wooden table mentioned yesterday, the hens inevitably hear us chatting and come round from the back garden to see us.  Aaaah......
20 We're still having trouble with a night-time visitor destroying the plastic feed and water pods, so a big investment in new galvanised metal ones today - that should give it toothache!  
Titfer & Tat were a bit scared of the new pods though, perhaps because they are bright and shiny and reflect some of their movement as they approach.  At first they wouldn't go near, but I easily got Tat to use both by putting a cherry tomato in each.  They'll be alright tomorrow when they've forgotten that anything is different.
21 Tat tickle on tabeBoth Titfer & Tat have been up on the table today, but only Tat stayed for a tickle.

For the last two days, Aggie hasn't rushed into the nest when I've opened it up at 7am, so I think she is coming out of her broody state.

22 Aggie came out of the nest of her own accord this morning and made a big announcement, so we thought she must have ended her broodiness and laid an egg.  We were disappointed.....
Hens got VERY wet in the rain today and Aggie had an exploration in the paddock - something she hasn't done since we lost Frida last year.
23 For the first time in several days I've been able to leave the nest open overnight and Aggie has perched, so she's definitely removed her broody hat!  Hurrah - I don't have to go out to the pen at 7am. 
24 By my calculation we may be lucky enough to get an egg from Aggie on 27th or 28th.
25 Or maybe not as she now seems to be moulting quite a bit.
26 We stopped to look at some bantams today and they were so gorgeous.  How we resisted a purchase is still a little beyond me!
27 By the way - that monster egg Tat laid on 6th was a double yoke!!
28 No eggs!  That hasn't happened since 6 July.
29 Well, my forecast was one day out - Aggie laid today!
30 Tat 27, Titfer 12, Aggie 9
Tat's queen of the nest again with a tremendous 27 out of 30 days, one of which was a double yoke.
eggs this month
  eggs since 1 May 2006