Lunar, the lavender bantam who isn't a true bantam (the colour lavender is still experimental in this breed and not yet a recognised standard) has proved her worth - eventually!
Despite being older than Mrs Bun and Poppy, she had not laid an egg in all the time we've had her. Lavender was the one colour we really wanted though and she'd earned her place in our little flock just by being beautiful. It's always disappointing though to have a non laying chicken (we had 'The Colonel' once who was an hermaphrodite chicken and upset the other chickens when despite being more cock than hen, tried to lay eggs in the nesting box - it was like watching a bloke walk into the Ladies room and witnessing the fuss that would cause). Still, we loved Luna for being soft and cloud like with a lovely gentle nature. Not for her the treading of other chickens a la Shakira. Nor scaring away the little chicks as Mrs Bun is prone to do. Luna is very much the hippy of the chicken world - "Love and peace, man" would probably be her motto if she had one.
So imagine my surprise when I received a text message from Luke yesterday. Whilst I was at work so was Luna. Busy laying her first egg and doing a fine old job at it too.
The lovely thing about hens in lay is that they will squat down if you pass them and it makes them much easier to scoop up. The others (all out of lay at the moment) scarper the minute we get near them. However Luna now lets us pick her up which is such a delight as she really is just a cloud of down and the silkiest of the girls to hold.
I decided to type this message in the conservatory, just before heading out to get some digging done when, Bang! A sparrowhawk, young, small and inexperienced bashed into a blue tit before heading over the conservatory roof and away. Mrs Bun, the closest to the action, stood - head down, stock still for ten seconds till the danger was past then all six hens rushed off tot he safety of the greenhouse. Minutes later the sparrowhawk returned for another try at lunch but having once again hunted without success it flew to the great heights of the old oak tree only to be chased off noisily by a disgruntled crow.
Indoors the cat is playing with Luke's laces on his shoes and prancing about the place in her make believe cat and mouse scenario and my leg is going to sleep where I'm balancing the lap top awkwardly so I think it's time to stop typing and start digging = how many poor spring bulbs am I going to disturb?
Despite being older than Mrs Bun and Poppy, she had not laid an egg in all the time we've had her. Lavender was the one colour we really wanted though and she'd earned her place in our little flock just by being beautiful. It's always disappointing though to have a non laying chicken (we had 'The Colonel' once who was an hermaphrodite chicken and upset the other chickens when despite being more cock than hen, tried to lay eggs in the nesting box - it was like watching a bloke walk into the Ladies room and witnessing the fuss that would cause). Still, we loved Luna for being soft and cloud like with a lovely gentle nature. Not for her the treading of other chickens a la Shakira. Nor scaring away the little chicks as Mrs Bun is prone to do. Luna is very much the hippy of the chicken world - "Love and peace, man" would probably be her motto if she had one.
So imagine my surprise when I received a text message from Luke yesterday. Whilst I was at work so was Luna. Busy laying her first egg and doing a fine old job at it too.
The lovely thing about hens in lay is that they will squat down if you pass them and it makes them much easier to scoop up. The others (all out of lay at the moment) scarper the minute we get near them. However Luna now lets us pick her up which is such a delight as she really is just a cloud of down and the silkiest of the girls to hold.
I decided to type this message in the conservatory, just before heading out to get some digging done when, Bang! A sparrowhawk, young, small and inexperienced bashed into a blue tit before heading over the conservatory roof and away. Mrs Bun, the closest to the action, stood - head down, stock still for ten seconds till the danger was past then all six hens rushed off tot he safety of the greenhouse. Minutes later the sparrowhawk returned for another try at lunch but having once again hunted without success it flew to the great heights of the old oak tree only to be chased off noisily by a disgruntled crow.
Indoors the cat is playing with Luke's laces on his shoes and prancing about the place in her make believe cat and mouse scenario and my leg is going to sleep where I'm balancing the lap top awkwardly so I think it's time to stop typing and start digging = how many poor spring bulbs am I going to disturb?
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