Eggs on the way

[rick]

The CLBs are getting a definite red bloom on the tips of their combs now. Eggs are on their way, Praying for no catastrophic restart misfires as always - but eggs would be lovely! (from past experience it will be at least a couple of weeks yet.)

[dianefairhall]

Good luck there!

[dinosaw]

Some of our hens have been laying for about 3 weeks now. We are getting about 4 a week from Velvet, our Ko Shamo x Araucana, who is going on for 4 years old, this year she is laying blue eggs again!. We are seeing the same number from our young Andalusian who hatched last summer and has yet to name herself. Also getting sporadic eggs from the two Faverolles, Mushroom and Biter who hatched last summer. The exbats are laying regularly now, but that would be expected. It does feel quite spring like and the weather has been generally mild. So hopefully you will be seeing some eggs soon Rick.

We did get a bit of a nasty surprise yesterday when we found one of our Silver Campines dead in the house. The chickens were moaning at us like mad so we knew something was wrong. Poor little Green Leg, such a responsive and friendly bird, always alert and inquisitive, shows that what they say about Campines isn't true if you take time to gain their trust. She had been the picture of health, was a good weight, no parasites, no sign of disease but found with her legs stretched directly out like she had had a seizure. We had bought her from a breeder, which we don't normally do, and I suppose she has shown why we don't bother, we are calling it as SDS probably an inbred heart defect.

[dianefairhall]

Sorry to hear about your poor little hen, Dinosaw. She sounds a real delight.

[dinosaw]

Thanks Diane, she was a lovely little bird, one of my favourites.

[rick]

Aw, that's an awful surprise.
I like the names of your Faverolles - I can imagine how Biter got her name but Mushroom?
Although it is still a long way off (spring), the sun got into the garden for the first time since November - just getting enough height over the house behind and the run. They sat on the back step sunbathing.

[dinosaw]

Mrs D named Mushroom, she reckoned that as her beard was so big, coming out from her neck that it made her look like a mushroom, the light brown and cream colouring added to the effect.

[Icemaiden]

Well the poos are getting bigger & Holly squatted this morning, so I'm hoping that at least she'll start laying again in the next couple of weeks, if the shock of snow doesn't put her off in the next few days. We're expecting 10cm or so of the white stuff, so they won't be impressed, I don't suppose... Hopefully Hope will be the next to lay again. Tufty, the cream legbar is a bit of a slacker, though she might surprise me. You never know!

[rick]

Eggs! All three have laid a first egg of the year this morning - two whole ones and I am assuming a third broken one because they are very messy and covered in dried egg and straw.

[Icemaiden]

Well done Rick's girls!
Tufty surprised me last week with her first two blue shelled eggs, to go with Holly's white ones in the egg rack. This year it's our Light Sussex, Hope, who's the last to come into lay. Her comb's pinked up, but she's not squatting yet. Patience, patience...