By george they've got it!

Norfolk Lasses Eggs Total to Date: 318 Day:140

KoKKo 106 Personal best egg weight 86grms 29.11.2005
Adelaide 106 Personal best egg weight 80grms 26.02.2006
Ginger 106 Personal best egg weight 78grms 22.02.2006

London Ladies Bantam Eggs Total to date: 3 Day:10

Dilly 1 Personal best egg weight 31grm 20.03.2006
Freckles 2 Personal best egg weight 32grms 20.03.2006
Pumpkin 0 Still too posh to push

Just before 7am the sun was shining with a lovely white frost on the ground when I went to see the chooks and clean them out.

I got a nice surprise as the London Ladies were in their run - they had let themselves out too. I never expected for one minute that when I closed their Eglu door (but didn't lock it) that they would have either the sense or strength to push it open, but they did. Clever little things.

When you have tiny bantams and huge hybrids, you tend to think that the little ones are babies - when of course they are not! And I should have known that city chicks would be as bright as a button shouldn't I?



Out for their early morning stroll, whilst the big girls are in their run eating.

It was a pleasure cleaning them out when it wasn't either snowing or raining on me. It only takes a few minutes, and now that I keep the big girls locked in whilst I do it, it is so much easier and quicker than chasing them about, off, and out, of the way.

And with a flock of six it was better that they were not under my feet, or it would be mayhem I should imagine.

There were lovely warm eggs from Ginger and Adelaide which was nice, as I am going to use a lot today baking, as baby Luke and his entourage are coming tomorrow for a long weekend and I am so excited. They are a joy to have visit.

Best be off and make a start - back later

* I forgot to mention that I have added a link to John's Poultry site - a plethera of information if you are thinking about getting chickens.

Evening Update

The flock has had a brilliant day today - they finally seem to have clicked. They stay in their respective groups, and so long as the food is right away from each group they happily eat in peace. No squawks or much chasing today. Just a bit of wing flapping here and there.



Dilly acts so 'not bovvered' now, and if the big girls do flap their wings at her for being cheeky, she just trots away without a sound, goes around the back of whichever Eglu is nearest and comes back again. Or else she goes through one end of the covered dust bath and out the other. She has me in hysterics.



Lovely little Freckles - bottom of the pecking order.

Dilly has been a bit naughty though as she has been harassing poor lovely Freckles and pecked her comb even though Freckles crouched. I don't know if she was like that before. I picked Freckles up and snuggled her into my cardigan and made a big fuss of her. She seems to be the noisiest and flightiest and the most submissive of them all. Pumpkin does her own thing - she is really swanky.

Over all the London Lassies and Norfolk Girls have mixed side by side in their groups - but not at the feeding stations. When I went in with the dried corn mix tonight I made sure to throw it first up one end for the Norfolk Girls, then the other for the London Lasses then in the middle for them both.


Old mother hen delivers a takeaway - washed tinned sweetcorn away from the biggies

They were roosting in their respective Eglus when I went to lock them in a few minutes ago. The three little banties do look a bit lost in the big Eglu, I have to admit. Maybe they could do with a couple more friends in there to keep them warm - but not yet, they need to settle in properly first.

Nearly forgot to mention, another bantam egg today 30grms and so pale it was almost white - I don't have a clue who laid it but I suspect it was Freckles as she spent the most time in the Eglu.

I don't think that Pumpkin is into laying, her comb is not as dark as the other two. She just acts like a girl about town, who can't be doing with any responsibility . Settling down and laying eggs is so NOT her thing at the moment!