Carol's Chickens

The girls are definitely enjoying the better weather. There has been lots of dust bathing. Yesterday even Freckles joined in the communal dust bath.

Another communal dust bath

This time it was Emerald who was missing. She was off doing her own thing.

Look at all those lovely red combs

One by one the bigger girls stood up and had a massive shake off. The little girls were having such a lovely time that they stayed put.

Rusty and Freckles are left dust bathing together

What a cute pair

They are such a cute pair of girls and seemed to be having such a lovely time.

Today Freckles has been much more vocal than usual. I think she may start laying soon.

Barley laid four eggs, one every other day, then took a week off. Speckles laid her first egg of the year three days ago and it was huge. Yesterday Barley laid another egg and in comparison to Speckles egg it was tiny.

No wonder I thought Barley’s first egg may have been freckles as that was even smaller. I thought I would compare a standard hen’s, shop bought egg, and Speckles and Barley’s egg.

Standard hen’s, shop bought egg on the left for comparison, Barley’s fifth egg of the year in the middle and Speckles first egg of the year on the right

Eggs on the stand to show another angle

I am amazed that two girls of the same size can lay such different sized eggs. I felt pretty stupid for thinking Barley’s first egg could have been Freckles but when you look at Barley’s egg in the centre and Speckles egg on the right I think you can kind of forgive me.

I am surprised that Speckles egg is so big and that Barley’s egg is so small and I have no idea what to expect from the little girls eggs if they ever decide to start laying. It is going to be very interesting. I love how unique my girls eggs are. No standard sizes like in the supermarket and all the better for that in my opinion but then I am probably totally biased.

I am looking forward to seeing what comes next.

Every day, several times a day, I check the nest boxes for eggs just in case I have missed the egg shout. I lift both nest box lids and check inside. Every time I do this the four bigger girls check too.

If I am looking in the nest boxes they must look too. They must come and see what I might be looking at. They must not miss anything because they are nosy girls.

Checking for eggs

The do make me smile. The little girls take no part in this daily procedure. It doesn’t concern them. They don’t know about egg laying stuff…. yet!

Yesterday was such a lovely day. We spent some time in the garden and I planted my pink primulas and filled a few empty tubs.

The girls had a massive communal dust bathing session. Freckles doesn’t join in the communal sessions but looks on and pecks around the edge of the group. She seems to prefer to dust bath when it’s just her and Rusty together. The other five were having a great time.

Peaches and Rusty both play dead

Emerald twists her head upside down

Freckles pecks around the edge of the dust bath area

They are having a lovely time

Freckles watches the action

The had a good long session and were having such a lovely time. This is always such fun to see.

Spring is definitely in the chicken run. The girls are vocal, Emerald and Speckles are now jumping on the gate and then Speckles to my shoulder from there. The girls have a spring in their step and I am sure all thoughts are turning to egg laying.

There are snowdrops in the garden.

Snowdrops in the garden

A red kite has been calling and was perched in a neighbours tree. A bit too far for a good photo, this was the best we could do.

A red kite in the tree

And I couldn’t resist these from our local D.I.Y. store.

Pink primulas

I just loved the colour and they are appropriately, for us, named “Antique Shades”. We have an abundance of primulas in our garden but mostly yellow and none in this irresistible shade of pink.

I will be planting them out later. I am definitely feeling a much welcomed bit of spring in the air.

I have had a feeling over the last few days that Speckles was getting ready to start laying again. She has been much more vocal recently.

This morning on several occasions I could hear her shouting and when I went up to check she was in the nest box scratching around.

Speckles is in the nest box

She is being watched by Barley

She came back out without actually sitting. A little later she was shouting again and this time was in the other nest box.

A little later Speckles is being watched by both Peaches and Barley

This egg laying business requires a bit of practice and is of great interest to her flock mates. A girl can’t do anything without an audience!

Emerald shows Speckles how it might be done

Peaches joins in

Speckles settles in despite her audience

Speckles is back in the other nest box and is being watched by Barley.

Speckles camouflages herself with pine shavings

She is getting serious about the job now. She has changed to the other nest box again and was very precisely picking up the shavings and placing them on her back.

This has been going on since eight o’clock this morning. At half past one there was a huge amount of shouting from Speckles. She was out of the nest box and shouting her head off. There in the nest box was her first egg this year. It is huge and long. No wonder it has taken so much time and effort to get this egg laid.

Speckles first egg of the year on the left

On the right is a medium, big girls, shop bought, egg. For a bantam egg, Speckles egg, is huge and is longer than the standard chicken’s egg.

Another view of Speckles egg

What a world of difference between Barley and Speckles. Barley’s first egg was laid with no fuss, quickly and quietly, and was tiny which is why I thought it might have been Freckles egg. Speckles egg was laid with loads of fuss over a five and a half hour period and is huge.

I love it when there is doubting the owner of the egg. Well done Speckles!

It was only three days ago that I did a post on combs and I said in the comments that Speckles comb would get a bit bigger and redder. Today I realised that in just that short time it has got bigger and redder. Whereas it still had some lighter patches a few days ago it is now completely red.

Even Emerald’s face is now quite pink. The little girls have really red faces and combs and the good news is that we haven’t seen Freckles pecking at Rusty’s head since I last mentioned it. I think her head feathers are looking a bit better.

I took some photos just before bedtime so it is getting a bit dark.

Speckles, Rusty and Freckles

Emerald’s face is pink

Emerald seemed to hear something in the garden and was straining to see what it was. I couldn’t see anything and have no idea what she was looking at.

Speckles comb and wattles are now really big and red

Rusty

Rusty and Freckles getting settled at bedtime

By the time I turned round to get another shot of these two they had gone in to bed. I am impressed by how quickly they make their way straight to their own perch these days. No hesitating like they used to do and therefore no getting bothered by the bigger girls.

They have lovely red faces and combs and Rusty’s head feathers look pretty much back to normal. Hurrah! We just need them to start laying some eggs now.

I think that Speckles will the next girl to lay.

Happy Valentine’s day to all my readers and to my girls. I decided to treat them to some yogurt in some heart shaped dishes. They don’t know the meaning of course but they enjoy the yogurt just the same.

Happy Valentine’s Day girls

Red combs and red, heart shaped, dishes

Yogurt beaks all round

We have a bottle of fizz that didn’t get opened on New Year’s Eve due to my husband having the lurgy.

My lovely husband bought me roses and chocolates and I bought him a D.V.D. and chocolates. I have his favourite rib eye steak for dinner after good old fashioned prawn cocktail. I used my Tesco vouchers so have managed a lovely but at the same time frugal valentine treat which I know we will both enjoy far more than going out for an overpriced meal.

The girls enjoyed their yogurt and we will enjoy our steak followed by watching our D.V.D. together. I hope everyone has a lovely evening whatever you are doing. Happy Valentine’s Day to you all.

According to the forecast, yesterday was the last really cold day, of the recent cold spell. There hadn’t been any freezing nights or frozen chicken waters but it felt colder because the daytime temperatures stayed so low. For the past couple of days the temperature hadn’t risen above 1.5 degrees and there was no sun and a bitter wind plus a few snow flakes.

Yesterday for the first time five of the girls were in the shelter together. Emerald never goes in the shelter. Beyond the first day when she was curious about it she has never shown any further interest in it. Peaches and Barley often like to go in the shelter before bedtime. It’s as if it is a sort of halfway house when they have had their bedtime corn but don’t want to go in to the darkness of the chicken shed just yet.

If the weather is horrible or wet Peaches, Barley and Speckles will perch in the shelter. That is what it is for but we really intended it to be a place of respite for the little girls. Yesterday was the first day that these three plus the little girls were in the shelter. Rusty and Freckles were in the back of the shelter with the three bigger girls perching at the front.

I suspect that the little girls may have already been in the shelter when the bigger girls joined them. I thought this would make a great photo but as soon as I went through the gate the little girls ran to greet me.

Three girls in the shelter

Peaches and Speckles are at the front and Barley is further back, you can just see part of her. Freckles is now pecking beyond the shelter. As I got closer Speckles jumped out to greet me.

Barley and Peaches in the shelter

I managed one shot of Barley and Peaches before they too jumped out.

This morning it was so much brighter than recent days and the pop hole opened at half past seven which is the earliest this year. The girls enjoyed a sunny day and there were huge craters in the driest area which showed they had been dust bathing.

They have recently all been in the chicken shed by half past four in the evenings but today after a trip out for a few hours we arrived back home at five o’clock and were surprised to find the girls still out. The day has definitely been lighter and brighter.

Rusty at five o’clock in the evening

Freckles at five o’clock in the evening

The forecast is for better weather this week and the days are noticeably getting longer. It has felt like a long, cold, winter but now it feels like we are heading towards spring at last. We are so glad that we are moving towards spring and I feel sure that the girls are too.

Barley has now laid four eggs this year so far. She has laid every other day since the first one and each one has been slightly bigger than the one before. Her comb is big and red whereas Peaches is still smaller and pale at the tip.

Speckles comb is also getting bigger and redder and she has become more vocal. She has taken to jumping on my back, like she used to, when I go through the gate. Getting near to egg laying seems to give her more confidence. Emerald always has a very small comb and it’s pale pink.

Rusty and Freckles have very red combs and faces. They look ready to start laying eggs but haven’t shown any interest yet.

I gave the girls some fish this morning as a protein boost. I love seeing them altogether like this.

The girls have some fish

Barley goes in the nest box to lay her egg

Peaches comb

Barley’s comb is back to blocking her view from one eye

Freckles

Rusty

Speckles

Comedy Speckles

Even more comedic Speckles

It took several photos to get a decent one of Speckles comb because she always turns to look up at me, which makes for some funny comedy shots, so I thought that I would leave them in.

Peaches and Speckles combs will get redder as they get nearer to laying but they are already quite different to a few months ago. I would anticipate that Peaches and Speckles will start laying in about a weeks time. Emerald has always started in March.

Freckles and Rusty are the unknown quantity. They are now eight months old and I would have expected them to have started laying by now. Oh well, I am sure they will get started eventually, in their own sweet time. I am looking forward to more eggs soon.