Looking on the bright side

[dinosaw]

The only bright side to losing some chickens is that you get the chance to get some new birds, seeing how my ex batts were deteriorating I knew I would need some new birds if only to share the affections of the Count so picked some up a fortnight ago. There is a farm just over the ridge that was selling a few birds and while I don't normally buy them in I decided to break that rule. It would probably only take 10 minutes to walk up but as it was we ended up driving half a mile down a ridiculously pot holed track to pick them up. They are a mature Light Sussex who is already top hen, a Blue Orpington bantam, though she is on the larger side and an Exchequer Leghorn cross. They are proper farmyard chickens and have settled in really well and are showing the two Black Araucanas how to behave, (this is how you dust bathe, this is where your supposed to lay your eggs). The Count is very keen on them, especially the Orp, which had clearly been getting a lot of attention at her old place given how muddy the feathers on her back were. The only blip believe it or not was that when the Sussex was first introduced to the Count, she gave him a beating!, she even drew blood and you can see their relative sizes in the photo, ridiculous. Well it turned out that as usual he was being a gentleman and not giving his all as the next day I found him kicking seven bells out of next doors Peacock just outside the run, he was fighting in a totally different way, head down to the ground, hackles raised, in the end after the Count had jumped on his back the Peacock made off with the Count holding a big beak full of blue feathers as a trophy. This seems to have done the trick with Mrs Sussex as the day after this I found him treading her and her accepting him as happily as a hen ever does.

 

[MrsBiscuit]

Lovely group of girls your blue orp is not a pure blue, instead she is what looks like not very even blue mottle, which is unusual

 

[dinosaw]

Thanks Mrs B, yes the lady who sold us them said she wasn't a pure blue but it seemed the easiest way to describe her. As you say she is mottled, personally I wouldn't be at all surprised if she wasn't a pure Orpington either given how many birds were running around together but she seems a nice little bird anyway, certainly doing what we bought her for which is keeping the Count occupied.

PS To keep you up to date with how the Thuringians are laying, they have been doing an egg a day for most of the month now so I am revising upwards what I think they will lay this year to around 200.

 

[Marigold]

Lovely birds, Dinosaw, - and what a beautiful run setup you've got there for them.

 

[MrsBiscuit]

Wow that is a lot, I can't have any birds this year, too much travelling, but I do have ideas for 2017 and something small that can cope with the heat is right up there. I reckon the polands would do well, do you have any view on the thuringians?

I did wonder if the orp was pure, no matter if not, the only thing I would say is that she might go broody and be very good at it

 

[dinosaw]

Thanks Marigold. We've finally got a tarp over the top of this one, (used your link so thanks for that) over the winter it was really not very nice a total quagmire in fact.

Mrs B, Unfortunately my gut feeling is that they are better suited to a cold environment, that's what they were originally bred for with their bearding and their feathering is dense. They prefer to sleep out at night on the beams and it's amazing just how much they manage to fluff up, they seem to virtually double in size when roosting. Of course you would never know unless you tried and a lot depends on how much shade you have I suppose. Have you thought of Anconas or Minorcas?, they are known for being good in hot weather are decent layers and while they're smallish anyway do come in bantam varieties as far as I know, a bit flighty like leghorns mind so if that isn't your cup of tea......

 

[MrsBiscuit]

I had wondered, knowing they are German and so bred for very cold weather. I may stick with polands, I'm not sold on flighty birds, even tho I know I can't indulge my real preference which is for the large fluffies I might also think of keeping naked necks, I know they will do well

 

[dinosaw]

They will do well you will just have to make sure your neighbours don't mistake them for Vultures . Just me being nosy here and forgive me if I've asked before and forgotten but was wondering do you "Fala bem Portuguese" or do you manage to get by with english over there, I ask because I thought Portuguese was the hardest language I've ever tried to learn?

 

[MrsBiscuit]

Funny you should ask, we have just come back from a glass of wine (homemade) and slice of cake ( bought) with our neighbours. They have been telling me I need to speak Portuguese more! You are right, it is very hard. My OH is much better than me, but.i find it very hard although I understand more than I say. However, I take refuge in French, which helps me feel I am speaking a 2nd language and making some sort of effort. Many people here speak it,far more than English, as we are in a rural area full of old people, retired to the area they grew up in after working in France, during Salazar's time. Younger people in larger towns do speak some English, but I can honestly say we always try to speak Portuguese first. Your Portuguese isn't bad BTW, I couldn't have said that before we came here

 

[chickenfan]

Your exchequer leghorn cross is a real beauty! Will you let The Count breed with them?

 

[dinosaw]

He's already running with them chickenfan, will need to wait a minimum of a month before I could be sure that any eggs were fertilised by him and not the previous lads and then will take a look at the logistics of things with regards to spare accommodation but in theory yes I do like to cross birds and see what they turn out like and I think he would father some good birds.

 

[chickenfan]

Interesting.