Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Steampunked]

Very cute! I love little fluffy things, and chickens provide tonnes.

Our swap-setup seems to be working well (we already have a lot of seed sprouting in the unused chicken run for salad vegetables). The free compost is great. And I like that now when I open the chook run, they all run after me and alongside me towards the house, because they know I'll have a handful of corn there as a treat. Little beggers.

Sigh, and eventually, I'll learn not to google the details about famous people when researching keeping chickens. I was told by someone to look at Joe Salatin's rotatinal farming pens, which I did, but then I got exposed to his creepy 'God given' views on women. Sooooooo creepy.

 

[cwrite]

I know, still waiting for my first cackle berry and if possible I'll get a friend to come and check them out ... surely there'll be one soon ... the newbies lament I'm sure

but still it's fun learning about them and their habits.

WOW what a big chook and egg shown by IamSamSam ... would love to have that one myself (egg that is lol).

Chat tomorrow, getting too late for me now ...

Good luck with your wait. : )

Haven't had an egg for nearly a week. Locked them in the run today and got two. Things that make you go hmmmm

I'm also having these suspicions. I am getting 2/3 eggs a day from 4 layers, but 2 eggs is unusual for my chooks. I took their corner nest box away because it got damp in the rain & I want them to lay in the nest box I made. Just because. I've since spotted Steve laying an egg in the bag of shell grit and I though they were all terrified of bags. I'm pretty sure there are a few more hidden away.

Snowy is finally really over her broodiness so I'm expecting a little hard shelled egg soon too. Not to mention my blue egg again... It also seems to be hard to wait for new layers.

Opps xD

So cute! Love the little wing sticking up.

I can't imagine getting 2 dozen eggs a day Ash. Sounds a bit like work.

I haven't noticed it getting light much later up here yet. I'm looking forward to that. Sleep-ins.

 

[Steampunked]

Hmm, so soon I will have room for two more pullets (or hens) in my setup.

I am tossing up either two more lavender Araucanas (this time maybe asking @Ashburnham for advice!), or two millefleur Belgian d'Uccles. I have a small, docile Silkie rooster and a little Silkie hen and they mostly hang out with the newest additions, the Araucana and Maran, so I was thinking a couple more girls who aren't of a big and stompy type.

Any other types I should look at? I'm in Victoria, so my options can be limited

 

[satay]

Hmm, so soon I will have room for two more pullets (or hens) in my setup.

I am tossing up either two more lavender Araucanas (this time maybe asking @Ashburnham
 for advice!), or two millefleur Belgian d'Uccles.  I have a small, docile Silkie rooster and a little Silkie hen and they mostly hang out with the newest additions, the  Araucana and Maran, so I was thinking a couple more girls who aren't of a big and stompy type.

Any other types I should look at?  I'm in Victoria, so my options can be limited

I have both the breeds you are thinking about. I prefer the Belgians as they are not as flighty( they are sweet docile little ladies) as the aras but the aras lay a bigger green egg and the belgies only a little white one . Pekins are a nice bantam breed but they do spend a lot of time broody.

 

[Steampunked]

I have both the breeds you are thinking about. I prefer the Belgians as they are not as flighty( they are sweet docile little ladies) as the aras but the aras lay a bigger green egg and the belgies only a little white one . Pekins are a nice bantam breed but they do spend a lot of time broody.

The Belgians do sound lovely, if that's their personality - that's very tempting. And they seem very, very beautiful - though so do the Aras. I'm not worried about eggs or broodiness, I guess - three people in my household and, hmmm...ten hens so far, I'm hoping SOMEONE will be paying for her keep when I need her to be

.

(I haven't had a single egg yet, but they were all born on 31 October, so no surprises there).

 

[ChristieB]

No eggs here yet either!! Cho is looking ready but still waiting

 

[satay]

The dragon fruit are doing well this season.

 

[Nu2chooks15]

Waiting for a first egg can drive you mad. An otherwise sane person pacing a nest box every hour or so looking for an egg

But the joy when you get it is so worth the craziness

I hope you get that egg your are waiting for soon.

Yeah I hear you there satay ... each morning/afternoon/evening I give a little check (also where they gather through the day just in case) ... we'll see how it goes and when (if) it ever happens, lol

Good luck with your wait. : )

Thanks cwrite

No eggs here yet either!! Cho is looking ready but still waiting

Hope yours arrive soon too ChristieB

 

[IamSamSam]

The dragon fruit are doing well this season.

yay ! Plenty for everyone!

 

[cwrite]

The dragon fruit are doing well this season.

They certainly look impressive, but I've never eaten one so what do you do with them and what do they taste like. The only things I've had success with in this climate are pineapples and parsley of all things. My paw paw trees are fruiting again. Now to see if they go spotty this time.