Bugger, I dropped the ball eggs! They’ve been laying for a while now, long enough for 4 of them to go clucky on us. I haven’t recorded anything to date though as I’ve been slack? occupied? out of habit?
Apparently they started laying a week after the shortest day when the biggest red bird (wyandotte x something nasty) started. We originally thought she was a he because it was growing so quickly and becoming so large that we figured she must have been ‘misdiagnosed’ during the sexing process.
That all changed when she started laying – Awwww – when she became affectionately known as BigBertha. Soon after that she went clucky and earnt the name SidVicious, that name change was cemented when we tried to collect the eggs. Gauntlets were used after the first couple of attempts as she not only would draw blood through the clothing, she’d stay latched on! Would have loved to have seen a fox try her on, feistiest little b…blighter I’ve come across. She decided (with a lot of encouragement) that motherhood wasn’t for her and she’s back to being well balanced again (probably on a knife edge though).
After that her sisters started laying and we have….
1 seriously so – Miss Gentle.
1 so-so – Miss Metoo.
1 wants to be, but food still tastes good. Miss Ummm.
after that come the 3 aunts from the original hatching, they are supplying us with eggs sans the clucky hassles.
Last but not the least, dear young Henny Penny, the sole survivor from the middle hatching – as entertaining as ever, still roosting alone (by choice). I don’t know if she’s laying, she doesn’t have to though, she’s DW’s favourite, and DW’s her favourite.
This entry is about
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Day 70
Harvesting
100.0 x item
Easily a 100 to date. Damn, I had such good intentions too. |
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Previous Journals
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Wanted: Carob 'Ceratonia siliqua'
Seed Saving garden
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Feijoa: Preserving - 175 litres down to 35 litres.
Feijoa (Feijoa sellowiana) Preserved and Pantry garden
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Bloody Hell: Our taxes (not) at work.
All the garden
Later Journals
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Moths
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Boer Goats garden
Comments
HesterB wrote:
Glad Big Bertha has calmed down. We had a really scary Wyandotte rooster. He is ‘no more’.
Posted on 06 Sep 11 (over 1 year ago)
graibeard wrote:
Indeed, she and the axe were starting to appear as one. Hopefully she’ll stay on whatever medication she has found suitable, and if she had been a rooster – Wow!
Posted on 06 Sep 11 (over 1 year ago)
TeresaGreen wrote:
Hey graibeard, sounds like your chooks have heaps of personality, great that your now getting heaps of eggs. Sounds like Bertha/Sid had a pretty serious case of broodiness – did you do anything special to ‘encourage’ her out of it?
Posted on 06 Sep 11 (over 1 year ago)
rainymountain wrote:
Great to have you writing journals again, you were missed.
Posted on 06 Sep 11 (over 1 year ago)
graibeard wrote:
@TeresaGreen, Nope, nothing special. Took her off the nest a couple of times, locked her out and she got the hint very quickly.
Miss Gentle on the other hand refuses to drop the thousand yard stare, she’s been broody for weeks. We’ve locked her out all day, all night, it doesn’t matter. The last resort is to isolate her in a cage and get the air under her bum (around the clock) to make it less than comfortable when she’s sitting. However, we are getting enough eggs, and while she’s broody she’s not scratching in the yard (the less pressure on the yard while the seedlings are starting the better) so she can stay where she is.
@rainymountain, Thank you :-) Hopefully there will be more and that I’ll be motivated enough to extract the backlog of photos and upload them as well!
Posted on 06 Sep 11 (over 1 year ago)
flowerweaver wrote:
Sometimes a hen will just turn out big. Farmer Rick said one of the Ameraucana’s that hatched during my trip was huge when it popped out, so I’ve expected it to be a rooster, but so far it’s looking like a big hen. I’m hoping for large eggs! There’s nothing more unnerving than a broody hen puffing up and growling at one’s hand coming their way. Big Bertha sounds like quite a challenge with the latching on! Glad to have you back!
Posted on 07 Sep 11 (over 1 year ago)
graibeard wrote:
With a bit of luck she may well do so, which will make the double yokers huge! Mind you, everything’s a big egg to us with bantams.
With BigBertha it was especially so as it started as soon as you rounded the herb bed corner, that’s at least 5 meters (yards) away! Once you turned towards the chook shed the low grumblings started, ending in murderous shrieks if you went in and disturbed her.
Thanks. It’s good to be back. Hopefully the garden will steal my attention for a while.
Posted on 08 Sep 11 (over 1 year ago)
redcrystal wrote:
Yes you have been missed :)
I can’t wait to see all the photos. haha no pressure ;)
Posted on 08 Sep 11 (over 1 year ago)
graibeard wrote:
@redcrystal, :-) From what I’ve seen of the grapevine, you’ve been doing the planting for both of us! To top it of, I notice that a lot of them are sprouting too – streets ahead. (Great to see too!)
Photos may take a while :-( Glad there is no pressure :-)
Posted on 08 Sep 11 (over 1 year ago)
redcrystal wrote:
Yeah I’m updating everything.. erk! I went out and took notes on the 1st LOL.. I need to go take more notes, things are up that weren’t up several days ago. Then I need to replant anything that didn’t sprout.. Ah it’s all worth it on the eating side, right :)
Posted on 08 Sep 11 (over 1 year ago)
graibeard wrote:
Spring has sprung at the crystal residence then? :)
Absolutely! Watching them fill out, picking them, eating and preserving them. Wouldn’t be dead for quids!
Posted on 08 Sep 11 (over 1 year ago)
halhurst wrote:
For your amusement:
http://thebloggess.com/2011/06/and-thats-why-you-should-learn-to-pick-your-battles/
Chicken trouble.
Posted on 10 Sep 11 (over 1 year ago)
graibeard wrote:
@halhurst A great story, definitely amused! I skipped on a lot of the comments though. Seriously – 3261 comments? Yeah – why not…
Posted on 11 Sep 11 (over 1 year ago)
LouiseM wrote:
I got a good giggle reading this – you describe your chickens so well. Thanks.
Posted on 11 Sep 11 (over 1 year ago)
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