New Eggs

Major excitement yesterday - a new egg in the nest box. Not the usual size and shape. A dainty little, pale cream egg. You can see the contrast - on the left is Florries offering for today, a whopping 76g - but quite normal for her. The white eggs are Bellas and on the right the little cream eggs.

At a guess it was from Little Bo, the new white chicken. She's been getting quite stroppy with those beneath her and her comb and wattles are more developed than the others. It was confirmed this morning when I actually caught her on the nest - another egg today! Well done Little Bo! Just look at the expression on her face: 'Yes, I know I'm a stunner, I'll pose for more photos later but a laying girl needs her breakfast first'

I think it will be a few more weeks before Roley Mo lays. She has hardly any comb or wattles. But she is a really friendly chicken, very easy to catch as she just waits to be picked up! I call her Honk - she has a strange honking cluck. I can always tell which one is her without seeing her. But when you pick her up and stroke her, the honk turns into a lovely croon - she is a singing chicken! Gorgeous! Her photos don't do her justice either, the black feathers on her back are a fabulous irridescent green in the sun. And she reminds me of a Rolo sweet. She has a lot going for her!

Then there is little Bambi. Mo and Bo seem to have established themselves in the middle of the pack, but poor Bambi is most definitely at the bottom. I used to think araucanas were scatty because they couldn't see properly, but Bambi has no such excuse. She really is a featherbrain! But she is very decorative, and someone has to be at the bottom. And she doesn't seem to mind. She has dug herself a little nest under one of the hebes in the run. There she lies until she spots a food opportunity, then sneaks out and grabs it before going to ground again. I just can't wait to see what colour eggs she will lay, although it's unlikely she will produce any this side of Christmas.

The new girls have settled in really wells, only a week and there is very little pecking and they are out freeranging with the older girls and coming in for their food at bed time.