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First Eggs and a Crow
Posted by VickiW in Vicki's Blog on June 27th, 2009
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!
They’re Here!
Posted by VickiW in Vicki's Blog on May 23rd, 2009
Yesterday I went to collect my chickens, and the plan had altered a little bit as one of my Welsummers had died for no apparent reason that the breeder could fanthom. However I am now the proud owner of 6 chickens:
2 Maran
2 Light Sussex
1 Welsummer
1 Portugese (black)
The Maran’s are certainly the bosses of the coop, followed by the sussex and the portugese and welsummer are working out who is definitely bottom – I think it’s the welsummer. Which is quite strange really as she is the third biggest! The sussex and portugese are all smaller than her…
On a nature v nurture point though, she was the only female in the welsummer hatch and was put in with the orpington chicks and grew up with them, so she may well think she’s an Orp! She’s certainly a very laid back chicken for a welsummer, that’s for sure.
Their first night went well, apart from not knowing where to sleep! The maran’s were perched on the roof of the coop, whilst the rest were in a heap in one corner of the run. All were carefully lifted into the coop, where the marans used the perch and the rest created another heap. A little roosting training is required for some – I’m sure they’ll get the hang of it though.
I’ve lost most of the morning watching them – they are all a bunch of (currently nameless) characters but all seem to love scratching around, chasing insects and having dust baths!
It wasn’t my idea, but it is turning into my obsession…
Posted by VickiW in Vicki's Blog on May 5th, 2009
The chickens were S’s (my husband) idea. But they are rapidly becoming a minor obsession of mine! And we haven’t even brought them home yet…
S has always wanted chickens, which was first randomly announced when we bought our first house together 5 years ago, in an area with restrictions that categorically stated no livestock! Wind on to last year and we got the keys to our new home. We’ve spent the last year bashing the house around and rebuilding it and generally making it our own and now its time for chooks!
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