Quite Simply, Chook Chat

[elizajay]

Mrs Hampton has a lot to say for herself today. I am sure she is not usually this noisy. She hasn't laid an egg so I can only think she is celebrating the sun.

[RichmondHens]

Finally got fed up with all my broody bantams yesterday. Hauled them all out of the nest box and put them in a run with no sleeping area and just a big board to form a roof to keep off the rain. Lots of grumbling and stalking about fluffed up but this morning they are behaving less broodily and are starting to scratch around a bit. Don't normally sin bin my birds but there were so many they were keeping the others from laying inside. They were all going off elsewhere to lay (outside in the open) and the eggs were getting taken by magpies. Will see what today brings, hopefully a large haul of eggs!

[Glutton4...]

LOL RH, Broodies are so funny, aren't they? All fluffed-up and hissing like a Snake. They may be small, but they're very ferocious. One of my Ex-Barnies is thinking about it, so she gets plonked outside every time I go in there to take MY eggs! She'll get the message, if not, she'll get the cage.

[Nicos]

Ha! RH....you can tell the weather has warmed up- we suddenly have 4 bantie broodies

Flipping waste of potential eggs eh?

[petal]

yep, we have pekin broodies all over the place. I have now been waiting 25 minutes for a promised cup of tea by son......

[Nicos]

Darn....make that 5!

[RichmondHens]

Of course what I really want is a LF broody as I have turkey eggs ready to incubate and would prefer not to have to put them in the incubator. Oh well I can start them in the incy and hopefully might get a big broody ready for when they hatch.

[Nicos]

Ooops...I seem to have persuaded OH to let me put 6 eggs under Betty. She's my best mommy of all times and getting a tad long in the tooth to be laying regularly!

Looks like tomorrow'll be the day that Betty gets to cover and the other 4 end up in the sin bin!

[RichmondHens]

Lucky Betty! What sort of eggs are you setting?

[petal]

may I recommend salmon faverolle- a fabulous french breed - superb temperaments, good layers and surplus males make great table birds.

[Nicos]

Petal- i've been looking for faverolle eggs to hatch but so far not been lucky! We even drove around Faverolle looking to see if any of the locals had them in their fields!
No joy unfortunately.

Betty is sitting on 6 Cayenne banties- fingers crossed we have some females.
The one chick we have from the last hatching is really independant- and keeps escaping through the electric fence. MUST be a boy eh????* sigh

[petal]

coq au vin?

[jessmorris]

..I've bitten the bullet and just bought two new birds - both silver birchen modern game banties. They're lovely, in quarentine at the mo, and quite chatty already!

[jessmorris]

..sigh..both my random eggs from Carlisle auction are boys...8 out of my 10 orloffs are boys...is it the weather in Lancashire thats giving me all these Y chromosomes??!

[Glutton4...]

..sigh..both my random eggs from Carlisle auction are boys...8 out of my 10 orloffs are boys...is it the weather in Lancashire thats giving me all these Y chromosomes??!

It's nature's way of ensuring you get fed with meat, even if the veggie harvest drowns!