I can definitely tell that Emerald is feeling her age. She has slowed down and spends a lot of time on her favourite perch. She is happy and healthy so I have no issues with her but she has changed over time.
After the morning treats, the lunchtime fruit and the evening treats she makes her way straight to her favourite perch. After the evening treats she will stay there until bedtime.
During the day she will sit in the run especially if she can find a patch of sunshine. If she is on her favourite perch she doesn’t bother to leave it just for greens. She will eat greens if she happens to be near them. She dust baths but she does spend a lot of time sitting or perching. Her face and comb are a good pink colour and her feathers are lovely and glossy. She is just an elderly girl taking it easy.
Emerald stands on her favourite perch
She will stand on her perch in the morning and sit on her perch in the early evening.
Emerald sits on her favourite perch
She is a creature of habit and this is most definitely her special spot. She goes up the ladder to this perch.
We have had Emerald for just over four years and she was an adult girl of possibly a couple of years old when we got her. She has risen up from the bottom of the pecking order to the top since we have had her. She has always been a favourite with both her beautiful looks and her lovely nature.
I hope that she continues to stay well and be part of our flock for some years to come. I can’t imagine my flock without her regal presence. She is a really beautiful girl.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Emerald sounds content.
When you say she’s risen to the top of the pecking order, how does that happen? Is it because of new additions to the flock?
It is. She came in at the bottom as new girls often do. Over time the flock members that were above her have passed on or been rehomed due to bullying and feather plucking problems. Speckles came into the flock a year later and also came in at the bottom. The seramas all joined the flock a year later than Speckles. Rusty and Freckles were first and Rusty is top of these two. The three amigos followed and Dandelion is top of the three with Cinnamon below her and Apricot firmly on the bottom.
It is quite amazing to see the once, bottom, girl rise to the top. She is a good top girl because she has a lovely nature. She gives the, almost not connecting, peck to the seramas to show she is boss but is never aggressive as the seramas can be with each other.
She is such a sweet girl, hope she has more years yet.
I really do too as she has always been a favourite and I can’t imagine not having her. She is such a sweetie. Whenever we have had problems in the flock due to bullying behaviour Emerald has never been a part of that. She has always been gentle even with new girls and has always been friendly with us too. She is just an all round beautiful girl.
Yes, she is a lovely-natured bird, as well as a very pretty one. Slowing down is an indicator of age, but she looks in really good condition so, hopefully, will go on for several more years. That’s the beauty of pure breeds: given that they lay less than hybrids, their bodies seem to last longer.
As I know only too well, it is lovely to have a top hen who is not an overt bully; my Bella will be 6 in November and is still going strong – she aid throughout the spring and early summer and is now coming through the moult. One of my sons asked what would happen if Bella wre no longer there and, to be honest, I really don;t know: I think there’d be a power struggle amongst several – Pavlova always fancies her chances, but is kept well in check, when necessary!
I agree that the good thing about pure breeds as opposed to hybrids is that they don’t wear themselves out with constant egg laying. Game girls have a short egg laying season too so I hope that she will go on for several more years. She is such a lovely girl.
I love Emerald. I really do love the black hens and their beautiful glossy feathers.
I feel the same. I would hate not to have a black hen in my flock and Emerald is particularly beautiful. I have asked my serama breeder to save me a black one, if he gets one, when he raises his next batch of chicks in the spring and to let me know. I would love a black serama.