The Good Life = 38 eggs

Today I have just spent the best 45 minutes you could imagine outside. It's October the 28th, and I took a chair up to the girls run, and sat inside with them for 45 minutes drinking a cup of coffee.

It was great to see them all chilling out, sunbathing, dustbathing, preening and generally being happy girls. I've added another feeder to make sure they all get a chance to eat.

Midget - the columbine is having a tough time of it - she's bottom chicken, and has now decided that I am safe - which is good. She is a really sweet little girl, who likes a cuddle and closes her eyes when I pick her up and stroke her.

The silver nick still needs a name - we were thinking Daisy or Vera, but I can't decide yet.

I have to say that the ex batts are doing really well, from not knowing how to walk very well 3 weeks ago, they are definitely settling in. We definitely did the right thing getting them - and seeing them chilling out is fantastic - it really makes me smile.

This last photo - a new meaning to the words "headless chickens".

The Good Life = 34 eggs

I'm amazed - we've had the ex-batts for only 3 weeks, and they have already hit over 30 eggs. They are definitely getting better in taste, and yolks are getting a bit oranger - but they are still not eating all the treats. They quite liked the greens yesterday - but corn and banana they just look at me quizically as in "why on earth have you fed us this"? Oh - and yesterday was our first 3 egg day - heres to many more!

As you can see from the photo - they are getting a bit more cheeky. The bucket was full of growers mash - and they just couldn't wait!

We've also been shopping today - and come home with, a Coral (white egg layer) - who we've called Blanche:

A Columbian - who will lay blue eggs

A Maran Cuvee - who will lay dark brown eggs

A Silvernick - who will lay normal brown eggs, but is very friendly.

They are all out in the run now sorting out the pecking order - and I can here Sylvie yelling as I write this - she gets herself all wound up poor little girl.

I can;t add any more photos now - no idea why - sow ill try again in later.

The good life = 17 eggs

On Saturday the big girls and little girls were allowed out together. The big girls still don't really know how to be chickens, but they were quick to try and sort out the pecking order which is:

Jerry, Barbara, Margo, Penny, Dhylis and poor Sylvie at the end.

I did think that the Pekins would stay top chickens, but I think they are a bit scared of the big girls. Penny and Dhylis did try to keep their ranking, however they gave up pretty quickly, I think this was more of the big girls didn't know what was happening when the little girls attacked, so they ignored them.

They were doing really well together, but Margo is becoming a bit of a pain, and is chasing the little girls now. I went up to say hello to them yesterday - and caught Margo with Dhylis's wing in her beak - and she wouldn't let go. Poor Dhylis, Penny and Sylvie, they spend all there days under the new cube.

I gave them a break this morning, and kept the big girls in the run until about 11am, to let the little girls have a wander without being attacked- they did spend the whole time under the cube again - but I think they were a bit more relaxed.

Enough writing for now, as I need to get to the shops and also clean the girls out today.....

The good life = 8 eggs

My first day of me not working is today. I took Boris for a walk up the common, and he had a whale of a time, lots of freinds, and even better lots and lots of squirrels. He spent most of his time walking looking at the sky and trying to pull me over.

I got back home, tiedied the kitchen, put some washing on, then went out to the shops. I went to get the baby all the things it still needs, and was quite successful, but I still haven;t got it all. I did manage to get a tumble dryer though - which is great news as it means at least we can have dry clothes during the winter!

I've unloaded the car, put on some more washing, and then gone up to see the girls. The big girls needed cleaning out, so I did that - it taking all of 3 minutes with the eglu. The compost bin is set up just outside the run, so hay and chicken poo was added to that - we should have some great compost in no time at all.

I also found another egg from the big girls. I have no idea who is laying, having been out at work, or out shopping today I haven't been about to listen for the "I've laid an egg" noise, which is very frustrating as I'd like to know who is laying the eggs. On a side note - the little girls look in such good condition - I'm amazed by them, fingers crossed they all get on when I let the big girls out with them.

When I'm up with the girls, I think the boys get jealous!

3 posts in 2 days must be a record, but I've found time to post between waiting for a cake to cool.

dhylis, Penny and Sylvie took themselves off to bed last night in the purple eglu - without a fuss, which was a real breakthrough - we even had an egg from Dhylis in the purple cube nest box. I let them out this mornig and they flew out - I think they are getting the hang of it - finally...

The new girls are settling in OK, I opened the door to the eglu this morning and they all just looked at me - amazed that they were allowed out. Jerry came out first,, but I left Margo and Babara in there and went back to bed (it was 7.15am!). (margo below)We we got up after the Grand Prix, all 3 girls were in the run, with the little 3 running around, not really to fussed by them. Tom checked the nest box, not really hopeful for mch given the stressful day they had had yesterday - but a huge surprise - we have 2 eggs - which are like hand granaids compare to dhylis's little eggs. The neighbour commments on the noise - saying she loves hearing them when they lay an egg, and she'd heard them this morning (we'd heard nothing at all). So 2 eggs, no idea who from though yet.

So the good life = 2 eggs now.

shocking - but I had to buy eggs today - free range - organic medium eggs, £1.59 - so 9p more expensive than the chickens were - how sad is that?

The new girls are here!!!! We've driven over 150 miles today to get then from deepest darkest Essex, and the new ex battery hens are now looking very confused in the blue eglu and run.

We left the house this morning at just after 10am, and then drove 78 miles to the house where the rescue chickens were being unloaded. I'd put my name down for 3 hens, and when I rounded the corner I couldn't believe how many hens there were there. In total the BHWT was rescuing 600 hens today from the one farm.

I stood looking at them for 5 minutes trying to decide who I wanted to take home - but it was too difficult to choose. In the end I said to the girl, just pick 3 - so we've ended up with one darker feathered girl who has the most feathers of the 3, and 2 who are lighter, and bit balder - but pretty just the same.

We drove home, and the new girls didn't chat at all on the way home, which was strange as when we got the first girls they chatted all the way home. When we got home we took them straight up to the end of the garden, and put them in the eglu house, fed the pekin girls some corn, and left them too it.

2 hours later and the ex bats still hadn't some out of the eglu, so we gave them a helping hand - I don't think the realised that they were allowed to come out! So we have called them........... Margo - the darker feather one, Jerry the light one with the most feathers, and Barbara the baldest one, as hopefully they will have a good life with us now.

Jerry in Front and Barbara at the back.

So - I've been a bit lazy writing the blog, however I haven't been lazy in general. The new house has needed a lot of sorting, or should I say the new chicken house has taken a lot of sorting.

Last time I posted we had just about cleared the hedge from the garden, well - since then the whole run has been finished - finally! Below are some of the pictures of the construction process - so you can have a quick look.

It took over 4 weekends to complete - but is brilliant. The new eglu cube arrived on the 24th September, and the girls have been moved in, although they tend to try to go to bed in the blue one - but they can't from this evening - as we got the ex bats today.