In the last week and a half, Jalfrezi (the dominant Maran) has started laying, we’re getting beautiful, if dinky, eggs from her that are a lovely shade of milk chocolate.

Yes, we have picked names!  Boris (chosen by my sister) and Jalfrezi are the Marans, Dumb and Dumber for the Light Sussex, Kentucky for the Welsummer and Nando for the Minorcan (not Portugese as posted earlier!)

As for the crow, that was Nando…  I took him / her back to the breeder today after speaking to her on the phone.  The crow has been progressing for a week or so and today at 4:30 in the morning after lying there and counting at least 20 crows, I wandered down having tried to convince myself that it couldn’t possibly  be one of our hens.  Nando was on the top of the coop and looked at me as only he / she could.  So talking quietly I asked if it had been her that was making such a noise, at which point she bobbed a little, went up on her toes and proved that it very definitely WAS her!

So, consultations later it was deemed that Nando was very likely a Rooster, and her behaviour back at Jen’s proved it – squaring up to every other Rooster she could find – which were all safely in their runs!  Apparently Nando was very handsome and Jen is likely to breed him next year, which is better than a destiny involving the pot!

So, a Minorcan pullet was exchanged and named Nando II and is currently in a little sectioned off run so that the other chooks can get used to her.  I did try a bit of supervised introductions but it was predictably unfriendly…  So the plan is that when the others have gone to bed they’ll all get doused in lice powder, as will Nando II and then she’ll be added into the coop.  Around 11pm tonight so that the others don’t get too excited.  Hopefully this will help ease her into the group and is what the breeder recommended…

I feel kinda mean introducing her on her own, and the sussex and welsummer will probably be OK after a little while, it’s Jalfrezi I worry about as she is definitely boss chicken.  Hopefully the re-establishment on the pecking order wont be too brutal…  On the plus side Nando II is eating and drinking in her little run and the others are showing an interest without throwing themselves at the side, so fingers crossed!