Monday 14 April 2014

They are all mad!

They are all mad, the whole lot of them.  This morning I let them all out.  Faith wasn't impressed at having slept in the broody house.  The dummy egg I gave her was cold so she obviously didn't get the right idea.  She stomped and stormed about the run until I took pity on her and opened the gate to let her out.  She didn't come out but Nerys came from behind me, barged in there and went marching up the ramp, into the house and onto the nest box.  Faith was a bit put out by this behaviour and followed her in to tell her off.  I had hoped the altercation would give Faith the right idea but no they just had a stand off and eventually I gave in and let them both out. 

Meanwhile in No2 house Lucy and Nancy were having a tussel over the green Asda basket.  They were last seen sharing it, neither looking very impressed.  Blue must have had a ding dong with someone in the shed over the cat basket because I found it on the floor upside down and Blue was the last one seen with it.  Good job Faith was otherwise occupied with Nerys because the cat basket is her designated broody spot!

All this before 9am!

Sunday 13 April 2014

Tos, froes and woes

I feel the need to document the trials and tribulations of chicken keeping and this seems as good a place as any.

Yesterday we said goodbye to Lottie, one of my Light Sussex girls from Hemsby.  She had been having egg problems and I think egg yolk peritonitis set in.  It was such a shame, she was a nice little girl who never gave me a moments trouble or concern.  She went back to bed and died in her favourite nest box.

Today has been interesting.  My neighbour came by with 15 newly hatched quail chicks for me.  I have never kept quail so this will be a learning curve.  They are so tiny, some are like little bumblebees.  I put their chick crumb in the blender because it seemed far too big fir them!

After the disaster last week with CeeCee deciding not to be broody and letting her eggs go cold I have them in the incubator and am hoping for the best.  She is a silly girl, she really wanted babies until I moved her from her favourite spot.  Now Faith is broody so I have moved her straight into the broody house with a dummy egg and will see if she sits before I get her any eggs.

And finally...someone laid an egg by the back door.  What was that all about?