Post by Shirls on Jan 24, 2018 15:56:24 GMT
My Little Fibbers
Through various reasons my flock of five Buff Orpington hens and one Blue Chocolate Orpington diminished down to three. Tilly and Tuppence the two Buffs went broody so no eggs, Dusty the blue was ill, had to have an operation so no eggs. So three babies were purchased to keep up the supply of eggs. Two were Buffs (Hettie and Molly) and a Lacewing (Aurelia).
Now the three newbies are really putting the old girlies to shame. They are really good and lay an egg each, every day, perfect. They are using both of the lovely comfy nest boxes to lay. When they have finished they come out and sing the ‘egg song’. All you chicken keepers will know this song. Aurelia laid the other day for the first time (72g) and was so pleased with herself she sang very loudly and because it was early Sunday morning (all the neighbours having a well earned lie in) I gave Aurelia a grape. That shut her up!!
Early next day, Aurelia went in to lay again. Very shortly after she came out, singing loudly and I thought “crikey, that was quick!!” gave her a grape and went to collect the egg. Opened the box – no egg!! A few minutes later she went back in to lay. About 30 minutes later, she came out once again singing very loudly. I went out to collect the egg (with NO grape) opened the nest box – no egg! Eventually, crafty Aurelia did lay, a lovely 66g egg, less in weight I suppose as she had no grape!!
Meanwhile Hettie went in another nest box to lay. She doesn’t sing the egg song for some reason, nobody has taught her, (very sad) but she came out later, so I assumed she’d laid. Gave her a grape (oh why hadn’t I learned??) went to the nest box and, you guessed, no egg!!
Whoever said “chickens are stupid” or “bird-brained” must have kept a very different breed of chicken!!
Through various reasons my flock of five Buff Orpington hens and one Blue Chocolate Orpington diminished down to three. Tilly and Tuppence the two Buffs went broody so no eggs, Dusty the blue was ill, had to have an operation so no eggs. So three babies were purchased to keep up the supply of eggs. Two were Buffs (Hettie and Molly) and a Lacewing (Aurelia).
Now the three newbies are really putting the old girlies to shame. They are really good and lay an egg each, every day, perfect. They are using both of the lovely comfy nest boxes to lay. When they have finished they come out and sing the ‘egg song’. All you chicken keepers will know this song. Aurelia laid the other day for the first time (72g) and was so pleased with herself she sang very loudly and because it was early Sunday morning (all the neighbours having a well earned lie in) I gave Aurelia a grape. That shut her up!!
Early next day, Aurelia went in to lay again. Very shortly after she came out, singing loudly and I thought “crikey, that was quick!!” gave her a grape and went to collect the egg. Opened the box – no egg!! A few minutes later she went back in to lay. About 30 minutes later, she came out once again singing very loudly. I went out to collect the egg (with NO grape) opened the nest box – no egg! Eventually, crafty Aurelia did lay, a lovely 66g egg, less in weight I suppose as she had no grape!!
Meanwhile Hettie went in another nest box to lay. She doesn’t sing the egg song for some reason, nobody has taught her, (very sad) but she came out later, so I assumed she’d laid. Gave her a grape (oh why hadn’t I learned??) went to the nest box and, you guessed, no egg!!
Whoever said “chickens are stupid” or “bird-brained” must have kept a very different breed of chicken!!
Have you learnt your lesson now, Shirls?? 
