Updates and portraits

Snow laid her last egg on 27th September. At the time I wasn’t sure if she was at the end of her season or going broody. In the end she went broody for only one day then gave up. She spent one day in the nest box all day and settled in the corner of the chicken shed at bedtime and I perched her at dusk.

The following day Snow didn’t bother with the nest box again and she perched at bedtime. I think she gave up quickly as it’s so late in the year and she has now finished laying for this year.

Ginger laid her last egg on 25th September after laying nine eggs. I wasn’t sure if she was just taking a break but I realise now that she has stopped altogether. First she stopped squatting when I put my hand over her and her comb was less red than before.

Then over the last three or four days Ginger has been having a partial baby moult. I have been finding small piles of her feathers in the chicken shed and the run although she doesn’t look any different. I think this means she is finished laying until spring.

Ginger and Silver are now six months old but Silver hasn’t shown any signs of getting ready to lay. Sometimes when they mature too late in the year they don’t start laying until the spring. I think both Ginger and Silver now won’t lay until spring.

It seems we are not going to get any winter eggs this year and will have to wait for spring before egg laying starts up again.

I decided to take some up to date portraits of each of the girls. They are in the order that the girls came to us.

Gold’s tail feathers look a bit scruffy. She is still dropping the occasional feather. Red still has some loose fluffy feathers and is also still dropping the occasional feather. Ginger is dropping mostly tiny feathers and the occasional long one but doesn’t look any different.

It is good to get the moulting over in plenty of time before winter. The girls are looking lovely.