MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

lol. No. I just prefer a small egg for eating when hard boiled. I keep my big ones for poaching & omelets.

Ok, cool!

 

[MaryJanet]

Peggy

The day I gave Peggy and Ivy a ride home from the fodder store, I was told she is part Australorp, part Pekin, and part Silkie. However, she gave everyone a huge surprise when she laid her first egg because it was blue. So I'm guessing there's some Araucana in the mix too. Peggy is a bantam with blue feathers with black edging, she has gold feathers under her chin, and her hackles have gold lacing. She has the fluffiest tooshi I've ever seen. Like her friend Ivy, Peggy has a crest and fluffy feet. When Peggy first moved in, she had a bad habit: feather plucking and eating. Specifically, Ivy's tail feathers. Peggy is much better now and only eats a feather if she's hungry and it's on the ground, right under her nose. Usually these are pigeon feathers, but sometimes she'll eat a chicken feather. Her favourite food is pellets, which is odd because the others prefer grain.

Edit: it's five months later and Peggy no longer eats feathers at all.

Favourite hobby: following Ivy.

Favourite saying: squeak squeak!

Rank: Petty Officer.

Named after: Peggy is named after great aunt Peggy, who was nana and great aunt Ivy's older sister. I only met her once and she was very kind.

Favourite song: Tiny Dancer by Elton John.

Update: on May 26 2020 Peggy was diagnosed as having a pancreatic insufficiency, which is treated with enzymes in her diet to assist her digestion. It appears to be a chronic condition, so the enzymes are part of her life for the foreseeable future.


For background, here are the other profiles.

• Mary
• Janet
• Sandy
• Ivy
• And Blossom

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

That is exactly what I do. I close off "their" coop when I do it so they can't go back there the next night. Mine always stand outside their old coop and cry at nightfall. I would suggest letting them roost in their old coop and move them each night for a couple of days and then you need to close them off from it.

At this point I then put a lantern in the "new" coop where the other hens are to draw them to it at nightfall. Seeing the light, they will usually go in. After they start roosting there, I pull the lantern. The process usually takes me about a week.

Your pullets are older than I thought they were. I don't know why I thought they were 8 week's old. At 15 weeks I am much more comfortable with integrating them.

I hope this helps. This method has been pretty successful for me the last 2 times.

it used to break my heart to hear them cry to go back in the old coop..but it all works out...

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Here you go... The second pic suggests I'm not going anywhere until it melts... That's my driveway in the second...View attachment 2020407View attachment 2020408

Looks so peaceful and cozy rjohns (from inside a warm house!)

I love your night photos

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

There is a tornado on the ground about 60 miles from here. It's going to be a wild and woolly weather day before all is said and done. How about some rain for my friends in Australia?
View attachment 2020445

Be safe Bob

Ditto ByBob.

It is raining quite heavily here at the moment. Some of it might even sink in!

The forecast for the next week is rain too

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Ivy is delightful. Her evasive manoeuvres are brilliant, her scampering about is endearing, and she's clever, really clever. Not to mention fascinating in her appearance - her leg and feet feathers, her little crest, her dark lacing on gold feathers, and her sweet little tail trying to get established!

Time to put a mirror in their run so they can admire that beautiful plumage!

 

[MaryJanet]

Ditto ByBob.

It is raining quite heavily here at the moment. Some of it might even sink in!

The forecast for the next week is rain too

Yes!! 🌧🌧🌦 just what the plants and soil need.

I want some more rain to cool me off

 

[MaryJanet]

Time to put a mirror in their run so they can admire that beautiful plumage!

Does your run have a mirror? Do they like it?

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Does your run have a mirror? Do they like it?

Nope. But I've seen them in other peoples runs (sorry can't remember who...)

if I see one of those perspex mirrors I'll snap it up!

 

[Shadrach]

Ought I put deeper straw in there Shad?

No, I'm partly teasing. If your eggs were fertile and there was a chance she might go broody then a centrally positioned nest with padding between the eggs and hard surfaces is best. What happens is as the hen rearranges the eggs, it's easy for one to get pushed against the nest box wall and crack. Also, eggs at edges are harder for a hen to get their beak behind to move back into the nest and underneath her.