Updated portraits of the girls

I have been trying to get some updated portraits of the girls over the last few days. With a bigger flock it isn’t so easy to get good shots of each of the girls. The five amigos are the most difficult as they are less used to the camera and tend to move away.

It has made me realise that I need to take my camera in more often. When I am cleaning up they move around my hands taking no notice of me but when I pointed the camera at them they moved away.

It’s interesting to see how the flock has changed over the last few months. Spangle and Smoke have had a few little spats and I think Spangle has now taken the top position of the amigos with Smoke in second position. Spangle is the easiest of the amigos to photograph because she doesn’t mind me getting close to her with the camera. She is the least timid of the amigos.

Marmite is bottom of the amigos and is the most timid in general. Even the inseparable Sienna and Jasmine recently had a little spat but I couldn’t tell who won the top position between those two. They remain above the amigos but below Dandelion and Cinnamon.

The other major change is Ebony and Flame’s behaviour and it is a change for the better. They finally seem to have settled into our set up and now always lay their eggs in the middle nest box. They no longer shout when their counter part is in the nest box. Flame no longer runs around manically looking in all the corners of the chicken shed and she has stopped scratching down to the wood in the shed and nest boxes and has stopped scratching the shavings out of the shed and nest box.

Ebony and Flame now go quietly in to the nest box and lay their egg and I can’t tell you how much better that is than the performance they put on when they first came to us. I think that it took them some time to adjust to the change in our nest box set up to what they were used to at the farm but they are settled into the routine with us and have become part of our flock. I almost regretted getting them in the first few months but I am now  much happier with them.

The amigos have also grown up and no longer cheep but have developed their adult voices. They still spend their time together but are also more confident about being apart at times. At bedtime the routine is now quite settled. The amigos perch together on their side perch and all the other girls perch on the back perch.

It is also difficult to get clear photos as the girls are always on the move but this was the best I could do over a couple of days.

Speckles

Ebony

Ebony had just had a dust bath so she has a dusty back.

Flame

Dandelion

Cinnamon

Although cinnamon is slightly blurred due to her movement I felt that this photo captured her character.

Sienna

Jasmine

Spangle

Smoke

Vanilla

Salmon

Marmite

Vanilla and Marmite now have their tail feathers back but Marmite and Smoke still have a few pins on their heads.

I am very happy that I have such a lovely flock and they all get along happily. They are such pretty girls and Ebony, Flame, Dandelion and Cinnamon are still laying eggs.