quick update

Since the sad news of my last post here's a long overdue update...
Both other hens are fine and don't seem phased at all by the loss of their little pal. They've not missed a laying day for a good while now so clearly not egg bound at all.
We do plan to get two more chickens in the near future but we're a little concerned how the pecking order thing will work out.

I've now also instigated a further extension - a roll of chicken wire supported by bamboo rods which can be easily pushed into the ground. It just gives them more space to run around. A bit more free-range if you like... We only use this when we're around in the kitchen or garden particulary now that the foxes have had cubs. More hungry mouths to feed.

Sad news

Well. Since my last post on 11th April things have been going very smoothly. Egg production has been excellent averaging around 19 per week. Not bad for three chickens, We had one glorious run of 21 days with 3 every day and a rather large blue egg (pic above) to match our large brown one - not quite so big but impressive nonetheless Marvellous! To date we've had around 380 cracking eggs.

Then on Sunday our blue egg layer (the Heritage skyline for the officionados) didn't lay. Nothing unusual there. But it happened again on Mon & Tuesday. I called Kirsty our specialist who said that it happens now and again. Yesterday she was clearly looking for somewhere to lay but nothing was forthcoming. (The other two were laying as normal).

This morning we found her dead - literally fallen off her perch. An ex-chicken etc etc. After the initial shock we contacted Kirsty again. She had a stuck egg (the chicken not Kirsty). Apparently its not uncommon but what a way to go! The other two are fine. It's our first major hurdle and one which our poor chicken couldn't get over... We're looking into the causes and how to avoid again...

Monster

The main news from the Olympic chickens is this monster egg laid today Saturday 11th April. Ouch. We're wondering how this chicken (the white one we think) knew it was easter? Answers on a postcard please.





We had our very first 'no egg' day last week with 54 eggs delivered since last post (total 184) and our friends have taken the plunge and now have three chickens. Brilliant.

Hello again

Long time no speak...

The truth is that everything is going smoothly. Routine established. Chickens healthy, Eggs lovely... and nothing really to write about. I could bore you about the possibility of mites or another attempt by a fox to get in or that we bought different feeders or that we're thinking of extending the run again. Or that the one that lays the blue eggs is very timid.

We had some friends over this afternoon who are contemplating keeping chickens. I think they'd made their minds up already but if we helped push them over the edge then I'm happy. I can't imagine not having them and I'm already looking for houses with bigger gardens. Well, not really but it does get you thinking...

The Guardian ran a piece last Saturday in their Money section on Chickens which was great even though it did make it sound more expensive than it needs to be.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/mar/14/producing-eggs-fruit-veg-honey

If you're in it to make money then I wouldn't bother, though I did hear a rumour that you can earn a lot of cash by squeezing a large number of chickens into a small space.

Then this week in the letters page one miserable soul who, because of the fox threat, reckoned and I quote "The hens would not last week without adequate fencing." Well maybe so (not really) but if we all lived by this mantra then bugger all would get done. And if the fox gets the chickens then we tighten security a bit then get some more chooks. Or maybe not.

Our garden is not "a stinking muddy patch" to quote the miserabalist Guardian letter writer. Chicken keeping is clearly something you 'get' or don't 'get' The letter writer didn't, but if you do and are concerned about the everyday practicalities then don't be. Just get on with it.

Every day we get eggs. 29 since I last posted 11 days ago. That's 130 since our first on January 17th. Normally we get three a day. Sometimes two and very occasionally one. From our own chickens. It's fantastic. Also - to date we've given a few to our neighbours to keep 'em sweet and sold 16 (in batches of 4) to various friends for a pound a pop so we're even getting a return on our investment. Bernard Matthews look out.

Three months ago when we first had the idea it seemed like a fairly major undertaking. Now its simply part of our lives. Would I recommend it? What do you think?