My eco solution to rat problems

[Beantree]

Our Cou-Nu have started laying again, despite the unusual cold snap we are having. Ermentrude and Dora (the explorer) started two weeks ago. Miranda started last week and Blondie, who has been through a seemingly endless moult, laid her first egg of this year yesterday. Big Bird however seems quite content just to eat, sleep and become even bigger. If you remember she was badly injured and has completely recovered, so we'd hoped she would now show her gratitude for the tic she received; we'll have to be patient i suppose. Nice to be eating eggs for breakfast again.

[Cat tails]

Two of my four have started again too! 
Has Big Bird ever laid eggs before?

[Beantree]

Yes she has @Cat tails, but stopped when she was injured. I think that was due to insecurity from being moved rather than the injury. She's now buddied-up with Ermintrude (to keep them warm in the coop together) who is of a rather nervous disposition and has attacked Big Bird in the past, simply as defence from what she sees a a potential attacker. It is only in the last week that Big Bird has had the courage to go into the coop on her own, rather than being put in with Ermintrude at dusk. Perhaps she still feels a little insecure and therefore won't lay? They are both eating, drinking and sunbathing together so I would expect her fear to have subsided; perhaps not sufficiently?

[Luvachicken]

I hope she lays an egg for you soon.

I got 2 eggs today out of 3.

[Beantree]

Scattered some rearer pellets out earlier as a treat and Ermintrude frightened Big Bird off the whole patch. I don't think she will lay until Ermintrude has gone. Not worrying, 4 out of 5 is OK. They have settled in the coop as usual.

[mullethunter]

Until last week I had 4 out of 9 girls laying, but now I seem to be back to just 1 and she’s really intermittent. I wonder whether it’s because it’s gone colder again.

[Beantree]

The weather is a big factor in laying @mullethunter and ours stopped for a few days when it was -4C in the mornings. But it's all changed dramatically now with a swing in the wind from NE to SW came a change in temperature from 0 and 9C to 10 and 19C; at the moment it is warmer outside than inside. This morning I leaned over to pick Big Bird up and she crouched, so perhaps she will lay soon?

[Daphne]

Its normally a sure fire sign!

[soapdragon]

I was lucky enough to swap some old but sadly bent beeswax candles (having a loft clearout and they had warped in last summer's heat!) for half a doz fresh eggs, a real treat now we no longer have our girls. The lovely chicken keeper also makes teacup candles so was happy to melt down my old ones and recycle them. That's what I call a Win/Win situation 🥰.

[Daphne]

That's a good idea, we have been having a massive clear out and I threw away some warped sheets of wax from a candle making kit, how stupid of me, it didn't occur to me that I could have done something else with them.  Have you been chickenless for a long time Soapdragon?  OH was in the UK recently and bought some extortionately expensive marans eggs for eating which were so good he went straight out and bought some more!

[mullethunter]

Eggs or marans?

[Daphne]

Eggies (not sure whether to say fortunately or unfortunately!)  During our clearout I came across some photos of my original 2 girls, still the original and best, they look so huge and fluffy and beautiful (although obviously I am biased).  Sufficient time has gone by for me to consider framing the pictures, until now its been too vivid a reminder of what has changed in my life, but with avian flu I now wonder if I'd still be keeping birds, keeping them off the range would be a very hard thing for me to do. 

 

[Beantree]

At Last! After laying a softie which broke in the nest box  on Thursday, yesterday she laid her first proper egg of the season. And didn't she make a big fuss about it; noisy or what? Fortunately our neighbours are a long way off.

[Cat tails]

Well done Big Bird!