My Mottled Houdan is named Phyllis Diller and she really is a character. For the first 4 or 5 months I had her she only laid one egg. I bought her around molting time so I attributed it to that. Now she lays about 3 eggs each week. They are beautiful small/medium white eggs. Her yolks are my most orange because she cannot hop the fence and eat the neighbor's crap dog/goat food like most of my flock. She makes a lot of funny noises. I think she talks to herself. She seems content on her own, but I think it's because her vision is blocked with feathers so she must think that she has chickens around her in her peripheral vision. We call it her "feather fan club." When I hang out with the flock, she'll come over and hang out with me, sometimes sitting in my lap. She will randomly peck at my feet and pants, much harder than any of my other chickens, so I guess it is likely for attention.
Even though she cannot hop the fence, she has no trouble getting to her roost as long as it is not too dark. Her roost is about 4 feet high.
She isn't very high on the pecking order, but she's higher than all my pullets because she sneaks up on them and pecks them. Hilarious to watch.
Her egg shells have always been thin. I don't think she absorbs calcium as well as my other hens, but that may not be a breed-wide trait.
I love my Phyllis, even if she does only give me enough eggs each week for a Saturday morning breakfast.
Even though she cannot hop the fence, she has no trouble getting to her roost as long as it is not too dark. Her roost is about 4 feet high.
She isn't very high on the pecking order, but she's higher than all my pullets because she sneaks up on them and pecks them. Hilarious to watch.
Her egg shells have always been thin. I don't think she absorbs calcium as well as my other hens, but that may not be a breed-wide trait.
I love my Phyllis, even if she does only give me enough eggs each week for a Saturday morning breakfast.