Four new hens

We were down to three hens, a Colombian Blacktail who lays every other day, and 2 Copperblacks who don't lay any more, one who won't last much longer ,but the other is in fine health and is amongst the best natured hens we've had.

So we got four new hens this afternoon - Ginger (Warren), Wanda (Colombian Blacktail) and two Copperblacks - Ninja and Mona. My daughter decides on the names before going, then allocates them to the hens she chooses for us.



They stayed in that cage (£4 bargain from car boot sale) within the run for a while before the door was opened. There was a bit of a scuffle with a couple of the resident hens but it all seems sorted out now. If only it was always that easy.

 

They are lovely, i expect they were so happy to have a nice new home.

 

Nice looking chooks there Scrungee

 

They probably haven't realised just what a cushy billet they've got yet here, with greenstuff grown especially for them, 'treats' collected in baitboxes whilst weeding/planting, etc., and even getting some grapes when on 'Super Six' at Aldi.

 

Ginger has laid the first egg. Nothing like getting off to a flying start with them - once a hen laid in the cage on her way back home with us, reminiscent of 'Noddy and the Silly Hens'.

The next job after being able to tell them apart (from differences in hackles, crowns, tails, etc. - this is where a mix of breeds really helps) is to be able to recognise who's laid a particular egg that then has the hen's name and date it was laid written on it in pencil. This isn't a 'Mrs Tweedy' style of monitoring, but being on the lookout for any potential health problems.

Some one who sells eggs (and also writes the layer's names on them) told my wife how her customers' children all had the same hen as their favourite and always asked for her eggs. 'Somehow' this one hen managed to lay over 2 eggs a day!


EDITS: Wanda is now laying an egg, so it looks like fried egg sandwiches will soon be back on the menu!

Wanda has laid her egg and Mona is now in the nestbox.

Mona has laid her egg and Ninja is in the nestbox - all of them laying on day one is a result. We probably should have got them about 10 days ago, but we were waiting for a break in the weather to go camping in Wales for a few days.

 

As expected the poorly Copperblack died yesterday and is now buried with all our other previous pets [1] under one of our apple trees, leaving us with six hens, 5 layers and one who's retired, but is the best natured and friendliest hen we've ever had and is now also best of friends with the newbies.


[1] Don't tell my daughter, but there's nothing actually in that goldfish grave as I took poor deceased Finn away with me sea fishing to use as conger bait.

 

Haha they are gorgeous scrungre, I love the turquoise in the closest hens feathers they look great. Good to see you have put a crossword in there to keep them thinking :D

 

They've all settled in really well now. Got an egg from all 4 new hens today + from Beryll, our 2 year old Colombian Blacktail today.

The Copperblacks lay incredibly brown eggs, probably due to the amount of greenstuff we grow and pick for them everyday.

Didn't notice the crossword puzzle or I would have turned the page to avoid stressing them out. I do love my hens, but when my daughter referred to one of them as "the clever one" Mrs Scrungee & I just fell about laughing.

 

I've just got back from burying Beryll (the last of our 'old' hens) under our apple trees. She'd been in full retirement for the last 6 months or so but still gathered the other hens' eggs up then sat on them and told us that she'd laid all of them. We'd been hand feeding her choice tit bits to make sure she got her share.

 

Aww, sorry to hear that Scrunge

 

Scrungee, your Beryl has had a dream of a life with you and your thoughtfully chosen diet. She's up there now telling all the others how wonderful it was with you,
Jenny

 

I seem to remember that the colour of the egg shell is based on the breed of chicken, and the colour of the yolk on what they are fed.

 

Awww Scrunge what a shame....sorry about that....

 

RIP Beryl.

I've lost 3 to the big coop in the sky in the past 2 months; always sad to say goodbye.

Copperblacks are from the Maran breed, Scrungee, which are reknown for laying dark brown eggs.

Except for my cuckoo Maran (who's mummy obviously had a "secret" admirer); instead of the lovely dark brown eggs I was expecting, she lays blue eggs

 

That was nearly 2 years ago and Ninja is no longer laying having ejected all of her ovaries so has gone into retirement and Mona is only firing on one cylinder. So with 2.5 hens laying we're now intending to get another 3 hens in the next few weeks ......