We've had blue eggs for the last few days, a lovely - early - surprise from Milly, our cream legbar. Not sure why she's decided to try laying so early in the year, especially with the atrociously cold weather, but we're very happy to see them.
Delilah (Bluebelle) has laid (or is it "layed" when one's talking about egg laying?) a few times since Christmas - a couple of dodgy looking eggs, a softy, and two almost normal eggs. I'm very pleased that she wants to lay, but she is getting on a bit (in Hybrid terms) and I'd be happier if she decided to retire completely. I'd rather have her, eggless, for longer.
Jasmine, the Welsummer, hasn't shown any interest in laying. She didn't start until she was forty something weeks old, so it seems like she has the most sensible approach.
Down on the allotment we've started to merge two of the flocks. Today they were left with the divider between their pens open, so they could go in and out of each others area at will. We made sure they were shut up in their correct coops overnight, as it's too soon to risk having them shut in together with no means of escape. As soon as we don't need to shut the pop holes at night, we'll let them choose where to sleep. Regrettably, that seems some way off.
Apparently the snow is on its way South, so we're expecting it tonight. I have a hair appointment tomorrow, which I'll have to cancel if the snow is bad. I usually have my hair cut and coloured every 6 weeks, but it's now been 13 weeks since my hair was done: my November appointment was cancelled because I was at my parents; I wasn't able to remake the appointment with certainty until the week before Christmas. On the day of that appointment my poor hairdresser was very ill. Fortunatelt, I wasn't too fussed about getting it done before Christmas, my hair is very curly and to a great extent it disguises the fact that the colour is growing out. It is getting a bit wild though, the cold weather makes it somewhat dry and frizzy. Never mind, I've saved some money in not having it done, and I'll put that into a piggy bank for "something frivolous".
One of our allotment neighbours (the one who took on 2 of our geese) has decided he'd like to keep hens as well, and it looks as though we'll be hatching some fertile eggs for him. He's chosen "Light Sussex", which are an excellent utility breed and very pretty too. I'm expecting that we'll be able to get hold of some fertile eggs for him in February, and it will be good to be raising chicks again.
Delilah (Bluebelle) has laid (or is it "layed" when one's talking about egg laying?) a few times since Christmas - a couple of dodgy looking eggs, a softy, and two almost normal eggs. I'm very pleased that she wants to lay, but she is getting on a bit (in Hybrid terms) and I'd be happier if she decided to retire completely. I'd rather have her, eggless, for longer.
Jasmine, the Welsummer, hasn't shown any interest in laying. She didn't start until she was forty something weeks old, so it seems like she has the most sensible approach.
Down on the allotment we've started to merge two of the flocks. Today they were left with the divider between their pens open, so they could go in and out of each others area at will. We made sure they were shut up in their correct coops overnight, as it's too soon to risk having them shut in together with no means of escape. As soon as we don't need to shut the pop holes at night, we'll let them choose where to sleep. Regrettably, that seems some way off.
Apparently the snow is on its way South, so we're expecting it tonight. I have a hair appointment tomorrow, which I'll have to cancel if the snow is bad. I usually have my hair cut and coloured every 6 weeks, but it's now been 13 weeks since my hair was done: my November appointment was cancelled because I was at my parents; I wasn't able to remake the appointment with certainty until the week before Christmas. On the day of that appointment my poor hairdresser was very ill. Fortunatelt, I wasn't too fussed about getting it done before Christmas, my hair is very curly and to a great extent it disguises the fact that the colour is growing out. It is getting a bit wild though, the cold weather makes it somewhat dry and frizzy. Never mind, I've saved some money in not having it done, and I'll put that into a piggy bank for "something frivolous".
One of our allotment neighbours (the one who took on 2 of our geese) has decided he'd like to keep hens as well, and it looks as though we'll be hatching some fertile eggs for him. He's chosen "Light Sussex", which are an excellent utility breed and very pretty too. I'm expecting that we'll be able to get hold of some fertile eggs for him in February, and it will be good to be raising chicks again.
