Carol's Chickens

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.

Until recently the automatic door on the pop hole hadn’t opened until after eight o’clock. I go out to the girls earlier than that and simply open the door and let them out and then clean up the chicken shed.

They are always happy to come out as early as possible. With the days getting longer though there has been a shift and the door has been opening at any time between twenty to eight or ten to eight depending on how bright the morning is. I decided to try holding off in the morning and to go out a little later so that I could photograph the girls coming out through the pop hole.

Ten to eight on the first morning

Rusty is the first to squeeze under the door, closely followed by Freckles

Rusty squeezes under when the door has opened only a couple of inches and Freckles comes out right behind her.

Speckles is third out

Peaches is fourth and Emerald is fifth

Barley is sixth out and has just pushed in front of Peaches

They come out so quickly that my camera isn’t fast enough to catch them all. I decided to try over several mornings to capture them all.

My second morning of trying to capture the morning tumble.

Emerald is about to come out, third, after Freckles second and Rusty first.

I wasn’t fast enough to catch Freckles.

Emerald in third place

Peaches is followed by Barley, fourth and fifth out

Speckles is last out

This was my third attempt. Rusty is first out every morning.

Barley and Freckles are out together in second place behind Rusty

Emerald and Speckles are out next with Peaches last out

It all happens so quickly that my camera just can’t keep up. Rusty is always first and Freckles second. After that it seems to be a free for all.

Okay, fourth attempt at this.

Speckles coming out in third place

As always Rusty was first with Freckles right beside her.

Emerald is last out

I couldn’t resist keeping going with this. Another attempt to catch Freckles coming out failed. The door is now opening at twenty five to eight.

Freckles and Rusty are first out as always

I must have been so lucky to catch Rusty coming out the first morning I started this. On this morning I clicked the camera as soon as the door started to open but Freckles and Rusty were out so quickly. As you can see the door has only lifted a few inches. They have the advantage of being small as well as speedy.

On day five I thought I would have one last try to catch Freckles coming out. I knew that I must click the camera at the first sound of the door lifting.

Freckles is about to come out in second place behind Rusty

Speckles once more comes out in third place

I seem doomed not get a shot of Freckles actually coming out. After five days of doing this it’s time to give up on that one shot.

I can conclude that Rusty always comes out first closely followed by Freckles. I can tell that they are all waiting behind the door for it to open and the little girls being so speedy and small means they always get out first.

Speckles is usually third and the rest seem to vary but it’s obvious that they all try to get out as quickly as they can. They can’t wait for the door to lift even though it only takes seconds. They all manage to squeeze through before the door is even half way up.

My favourite photo is the very first one I took which captures Rusty perfectly, flattening herself, to get under the door as quickly as she can. What an escape artist. She can get through a very small gap. It’s been a fun and interesting exercise.

I am going to repeat that first photo here to save you having to scroll back up to see it again.

Rusty is first to squeeze under the door

I always take lots of photos so that I get the shot that I want but time and time again the first photo is the best one and the one that I go with. I don’t think I could repeat this photo no matter how many times I tried. It captures Rusty’s eagerness to get under the door absolutely perfectly and this little routine goes on every morning.

Yesterday afternoon my husband decided to tackle the job of pruning our unruly rambling rose that’s next to the chicken run. We inherited this rose when we moved in and it’s extremely fast growing and vicious to prune.

The only reason we have put up with it is because it provides a screen between us and our neighbours as the fence behind it is quite low (it is our neighbours fence). It is problematic though as we have had to go next door when it blew into their garden and push it back over to our side where we secured it to some posts.

It also grows out on our side taking up a lot of room. My husband decided now was the time to give it a severe prune. This provided entertainment for the girls.

My husband has an audience

It’s chicken T.V.

The girls usually go to bed at about four o’clock but they were so interested in what was going on that they stayed out later than usual. They watched every move that my husband was making. These girls are so nosy and so easily entertained.

This rose is going to provide a future project but that’s for another day and another post.

I had hoped this would fizzle out but Rusty looks a bit worse today.

Rusty’s head looks worse

I have been through this before so I know how hard it is to stop this once it becomes a habit. I am giving protein and trying to keep the girls occupied.

The problem is that these two are totally inseparable. They sit together all the time and they appear to enjoy this. I think separating them would be cruel.

I plan to limp along until the end of the month then all being well add some more seramas to the flock. I think this twosome needs mixing up and more little girls would possibly change the dynamics a bit. I think being part of a bigger group of little girls will be good for them.

The integrating process will give them something else to focus on and maybe if they become part of a bigger group they won’t be so obsessed with just each other.

We just need to get through this next cold spell as I don’t want to bring seramas from a breeding shed into freezing temperatures and also there is a restriction on movement of birds until 28th February because of the bird flu.

How I wish I could add more seramas right now but I must hang on for a few weeks more.

A few days ago I noticed that Rusty’s head feathers looked short and pale. I put it down to her moulting some head feathers.

A day later we noticed that Freckles was pecking at Rusty’s head while they were perched together. My heart sank. I couldn’t bear this to be happening again. Why does this keep happening to my flock! They have plenty of space and plenty of interest in the run and my research says that due to their small size seramas are happy in a small space. To seramas our run is a huge space.

It isn’t malicious either because Freckles and Rusty are the best of friends and are inseparable, but that in itself means that they are always sitting together and there is plenty of opportunity for Freckles to peck at Rusty.

The only positive thing is that they moult continuously and therefore new feathers should come back in rather than having to wait a year and with her silky feathers it’s not so obvious that she is missing feathers.

I think we need to add some more seramas as soon as possible. I think that these two are like a flock of two within the larger flock and need more girls of their own size to interact with and to mix it up a bit.

The next week is forecast very cold and frosty though and also because of the bird flue there is restricted movement of birds until after 28th February. This means we may have to wait to the end of this month before thinking of adding more girls.

Rusty’s head is missing outer feathers

Rusty with her head up

Rusty with her head down

Rusty and Freckles at the food dish

The good news is that we haven’t seen this happening over the last few days. It just seemed to be on one day. Maybe Rusty’s pins were just too irresistible. I really hope that this is the case.

I had thought that as we lose girls we would replace them with seramas in the future so to have this problem among the little girls would be so awful. I am hoping that this is just a blip.