Companihens chickens

[Companihen]

Another funny thing about Percy is sometimes... fairly often after he does a big wing flap/stretch his wing and tail get tangled up. I was so concerned the first time I found him like this in the run. Thought his tail was broken or something and he is a bit wobbly sometimes since his funny head thing... but the he crowed and flapped again and righted himself. Here are some pictures from today trying to show it... he walks around for some time like it before he sorts himself, doesn't appear to bother him

 

[Companihen]

We call these plants elephants ears, I'm not sure if they have another/proper name I have several spots of these in the flower beds around our garden, every year the chickens devour the leaves until there is nothing but the thick stems left. They go crazy for any bugs they find around the roots and stems too. The plants always survive and bounce back and they have pretty pink flowers, similar to a hyacinth shape.

I had 9 eggs yesterday and 3 today! Prue wants to go broody, she's spent all day clucking and marching round the main house. She's been on the perches, in and out of all the egg boxes, sitting and putting straw on herself and then screeching and flapping and trying another location. I've barely seen her in the garden or run all day!
Black is laying again but same as last year with her eggs always having softer shells. This is annoying, I can never take her eggs quick enough from the eggbox and they leave a big sticky mess in there the other hens huff and puff about laying there or fight to eat the eggs. I've bought calcium liquid again to add to their water, this seemed to help a bit before but I have 2 cockerels now and cant segregate who drinks what so don't want to be giving them too much calcium I use layers pellets from Mole Valley farm feeds and have a tub of oyster shell always available in the run. Haven't seen Greedy in the egg boxes again yet

 

[Companihen]

This mornings eglu batch. The calcium in the water seems to be helping again, no broken eggs last few days and black is definitely laying every other day. Hoping greedy will again soon.

Not sure why someone laid this all the way back in in the house, not even in an eggbox

Then these 4 later were all in the eglu. So 10 altogether today

 

[Companihen]

I was unable to collect eggs yesterday as I wasn't around... went out at 8 this morning and bought all these in the large speckled one from one of the copper marans has a paper soft shell, cracked as I picked it up. the lovely dark egg is how they used to always lay.

 

[Companihen]

Percy. He was very cross and agitated when I went up on Saturday to collect eggs. There was an egg in the eglu run floor, Pepin or pinchs egg. I could tell he was off as soon I I opened the run door to let them in the garden. And as soon as I went to collect eggs he flew at me, severel times. Then walked to corner of the run crossly growling and pecking the floor. Went for me again as I crawled in the eglu to get the egg and again when I walked to food cupboard to top up food. I just continues whatbibwas doing anyway and stood for a bit but he really wasn't happy with me. Quite unsure why

Again this morning when I went in and everyone ran out to the garden he stayed and followed me in the run pecking and clucking at the floor and not pleased with me getting the eggs. He didn't attack today but i was more keeping my distance

I was digging over and planting out my early veggies on Saturday. Grey knows this means lots of worms so she stayed by my side all day. Makes a change from her usual skittish self, worms are obv worth the risk she even settled down and spread her wings out and sunbathed foen30mins or so near me!

 

[Callender Girl]

Wonder what's bothering Percy? Too bad one shell was so thin, but what BEAUTIFUL dark eggs!!

Hurray for Grey! I knew there was a blizzard on the way Sunday. So I let all the girls out Saturday during the sunny, calm before the storm to scratch and peck at piles of fallen leaves and make depressions in the dirt. It was a spa day with clusters of hens digging, flapping, stretching out and totally enjoying the experience.

 

[Companihen]

Wonder what's bothering Percy? Too bad one shell was so thin, but what BEAUTIFUL dark eggs!!

Hurray for Grey! I knew there was a blizzard on the way Sunday. So I let all the girls out Saturday during the sunny, calm before the storm to scratch and peck at piles of fallen leaves and make depressions in the dirt. It was a spa day with clusters of hens digging, flapping, stretching out and totally enjoying the experience.

I'm not sure what's up with him...my boys are in the garden a lot more atm, whether it's to do with that... also polka is definitely considering broodiness so whether it's that...
Yes the eggs are lovely, I really would like to add some younger copper marans to my group this year and maybe some crested cream legbars because I've had those in the past and the blue shells are pretty too.

Happy day for your hens too!