A happy Christmas to everyone

[valeriebutterley]

Everyone seems to have disappeared off the forum for the last few days, just like the red mite! Where are you all?
I often find a few lurking (red mite not people) when I clean out on Tuesdays, and of course, deal with them usually with a paint brush and liberal applications of DE, they now seem to have absolutely gone from the scene. Is it the same everywhere?
I thought this mild weather would encourage the little b.....s, but not so.
All of my lovely girls are grown but none are laying yet, cannot wait for the first eggs. My two Croad girls have turned out well, and I have promises of eggs from the recipient of the two cockerels so my Croad flock will increase. The promised eggs will not be from the young cockerels so none related.
My four Anconas, are good as well, noisy but nice, and my two speckled Sussex are large, heavy, nice natured and daft, not the brightest girls, but their plumage is spectacular! My two Cream Legbars are easy to tell apart as one has a much paler feathered ruff then the other.
I hope everyone is well and looking forward to Christmas. All the best and may it be a wonderful clucky and eggful time for you all, Val, X.

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Val. We're off to collect our turkey this morning from a local breeder. Surprised to see whole turkey in the supermarket for the first time this year, no doubt due to the strong American influence on French habits.

Our pretty little Brown English Leghorn bantams are all laying now. But they have got far too tame to the extent of becoming very noisy nuisances.

No red mite here either, but I should check again.

Happy Noel to you Val.

 

[Marigold]

Happy Christmas from me as well. Good to have reports on everyone's flocks! Mine are all OK, but after her stroke, Marigold has become very quiet and I think she's losing weight although she does slowly make it to the feed plate and seems to be holding her own in the pecking order when the warm mash arrives. Otherwise she seems to just sit in the most sheltered corner of the run most of the time. Probably her last Christmas, I'm afraid, but with hens you never know. The others are not laying but combs are still quite red so I hope for New Year eggs soon. The little hybrid who is at the bottom of the pecking order and gets bullied more than I like to see, layed all through her moult, but has given up the last few days.

 

[valeriebutterley]

Sweetie, my Leghorn/Legbar hybrid laid this morning - an exquisite turquoise egg, this is her second year, I hatched her last year.
It was only about 4 weeks or so ago when she moulted, the most complete moult I think I've ever seen she looked miserable and down ruffled and tatty and got very dirty because of the weather.
One morning she shook herself and feathers simply fell about, wing, tail - name them they flew. In a few days she was looking really good, beautiful Leghorn tail, etc. She is now blindingly white with one or two grey feathers. I was delighted to see her egg this morning, had not expected it.
Another bonus is from Angel, my bantam Ox. game Pyle/Silkie hybrid must be nearly 2/3 now, she has started laying really very good sized eggs, like a real mature girl!

 

[rick]

Happy Christmas everyone!
No red mite here either and after flubenvet only a tiny worm population.
My 5 have hardly moulted unless you count Brownies temporary bloomer crisis. Betty, the little cream legbar, is still laying bantam size eggs but otherwise is fit and has put on enough weight. In fact, she's compact but surprisingly heavy... and what a comb!
Aerial the CB hasn't got the flag of a tail that I've seen in pictures but is chirpy (literally! do they always have a quiet voice?), very bold and flys up onto my arm or shoulder from a suprise angle most times I go into the run (getting a bit annoying actually!)
The 3 sisters who are getting on for 2 years old now are laying huge eggs. It's funny how messy they always are in comparison to this year's additions - muddy feet and the like.
Coop is holding out well. The auboise is very good. Need to get some more fixings for the perspex roofing as it rattles a bit in the wind but no leaks through the slate.
Well that about sums it up.
Have a chooky do