I can't even tell you how excited I was this morning when I found this perfect little egg in the nest box, we had bets on for when they'd start laying and I had guessed 2 weeks so I wasn't too far out :) Our kitchen hen (above) has been patiently waiting for some occupants, and is now looking much happier! Oh how I've missed fresh eggs! Soca was in the house for quite a while this morning and she is the biggest so my guess is it's her wee egg but I can't be sure...
We've had to make an adjustment to the run, it worked perfectly for the first week and a bit. They didn't do too much damage, just a bit here and there. Then suddenly they figured out how to dig... I don't mean scratch since they've always done this but actually dig into the ground! I'm sure they are just trying to make a dust bath but in the middle of our lawn is not allowed. Most of you probably know that chickens must have a place to 'dust bath' themselves, it keeps mites and other bugs at bay, stops oil building up in their feathers and generally keeps them healthy. We thought that having a dust bath when they were free ranging (they have a dry dusty area under our tree that they love) would be enough but they didn't think so... It's a shame because we've had to attach chicken wire on the underside of the run too now to stop the digging, not a big deal but does mean they can only scratch properly when they're out in the garden. Ah well, they get out at the weekends, on my weekday off and also some evenings.
We've also got a new hose which has helped loads with keeping the lawn pretty (ie not covered in droppings!) we just turn the nozzle up to fine/powerful spray and hose the area where the run was before, the droppings disintegrate and soak into the grass - perfect!
So that the chicken update! As for my update, it's just been hard for me to get back into the swing of things after such a lovely relaxing break. We also had our preschool graduation at work on monday, which meant lots of extra work, it went really well though and was SUPER cute.
A few other goings on too but I'll put them in another post with some pictures soon, anyway I'm off to get a cup of vanilla rooibos, curl up on the sofa and catch up on all the blogs I've been missing :) xx
wooohoo!
ReplyDeletethats what I said! LOL
DeleteCongratulations, I can just imagine how exciting that was! What will you do with it? just you wait, soon the wire basket will be laden with home produced eggs, well done chickens!
ReplyDeleteThanks dan, I don't know! We might fry it and share it between us, unless we get another one today then we can have one each :) I know, once they start they just keep coming. My friend Patrice LOVES fresh eggs so she's going to buy our extras £1 for 6, which will mean they could nearly pay for their own feed which is cool
DeleteHow perfect does that egg look?!!
ReplyDeleteJane x
small but perfectly formed :) I'm sure it has a beautiful big yolk too :) mmmmmmm
DeleteI WANT CHICKENS SO BADLY!! Must wait until I have my own place with a garden! Might be a while!
ReplyDeleteawww I know how you feel when we were traveling/not settled I really longed for hens, so happy now though :)
Deleteive never had fresh eggs! just the ones out of the supermarket lol. Put me down for a few lol x
ReplyDeleteO.M.G aine! right as soon as ive paid patrice in eggs for feeding them while i was away your getting some and you'll LOVE them, they taste way better :)
DeleteHow exciting! I remember when we got our first egg. I couldn't bring myself to eat it.
ReplyDeleteM
x
we're waiting till we have one each! maybe tomorrow night for dinner :)
DeleteI'm envious, our hens have stopped laying. Enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteaww thats a shame, maybe you'll get some more one day?
DeleteCOngrats!! I remember our first egg. So exciting! I had it in an eggcup for three years until my kitten recently knocked it down and broke it! ENjoy your eggs. You might get some double-yolkers while the girls are "learning"! :)
ReplyDeleteHaha thats so funny, I've never heard of keeping it before, I thought it would have gone off! Our cara knocks everything down too, she thinks everything in this house is her toys lol and i can't wait for some double yolkers i LOVE them!
DeleteCongratulations on your first egg! I bet is tasted amazing! x x
ReplyDeletethank you we just finished one each for dinner PERFECT! they taste so amazing its hard to believe the difference to shop bought! im so happy! :)
DeleteBrilliant, that first egg is so special, we kept ours, it lives in an little egg cup on the mantlepiece, it must be 4 years old now!!
ReplyDelete(They don't 'go off' they simply evaporate in the shell and you end up with an empty, but perfect egg.)
If you can fit it in, put a large bowl of sieved soil in the hens run, they will use that for dust bathing quite happily.
Sue xx
wow i really though they'd go off! im too greedy - we just ate them for dinner lol so tasty though :)
Deletegood idea for the bath, i'll try it once we've made a side door :)
Yay!!! Congrats!
ReplyDeletethanks bee girl, we were just saying how it feels as though they've paid for themselves already - just with 2 eggs!!
DeleteOh that's wonderful, and very exciting! Keep us updated on the little ladies and their egg laying.
ReplyDeleteWe are over the moon - update coming up!
DeleteHoary!!! Soon the whole flock will be laying and you'll be wondering what to do with all those eggs, like we are!!
ReplyDeletelol well today we got our 1st 3 in one day! we've organized to sell them to a friend for £1 for 6 so the more the better!!
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