I went to do the Allotment chooks today. I put out an extra waterer (making 5 toughs in total), and filled up the feeders. They've always got enough to cover an emergency, for example if we're unwell and we're unable to find someone to step in.. A bigger worry is if they are in an area which ends up being locked down, which is why we wanted to make sure they had feeders well stocked, and the extra watering trough. I've got another large plastic drinker, which is a nuisance to clean, so i might bring that home next time, clean it and then take that back as well.
We've currently got 12 girls on the allotment, which is a few too many really (although we have 2 cockerels, so from that point of view, it's about right). We have 2 girls in the garden who will be moving to the allotment at some point, but they are layers rather than breeders of table chooks.
Three of the allotment girls are very old ladies now, and 2 are getting on a bit. We don't begrudge them their long and happy retirement. Norah is 9 years old, and has slowed down noticeably over the last few weeks. She's eating OK, and she looks OK. AnneOfCleves and KatherineHoward, (sisters to POppy and Gloria), are 8. We lost JaneSeymour a few weeks ago. Henry's last 2 remaining daughters, BigBird (daughter of Norah [or Batty]), and Phyllis (daighter of one of the 6 Wives), are both 6. Phyllis looks a little tired, asnd her comb isn't quite as bright as it should be. Phyllis' twin sister, Dilys, died 2 years ago, so Phyllis is doing well.
We may choose not to hatch this year. I'd like to hatch some blue egg layers, and I've asked around to see if I can find a cream legbar cockerel I can borrow for stud duties. I'd like to put him to my Leghorn garden girls, and keep a couple of resulting girls. No luck yet.
If we can't find one, we might decide not to hatch at all this year. It's always hard culling chooks, and culling excess girls for the table is even worse. I can't imagine not having chicks. There are advantages though : we can rest part of thre ground for longer than just a few months.
I guess I'll see what happens about the cockerel.
