As Jenn is new to my blog, yesterday, I decided to try to get a photo of the whole flock for her to see. This is tricky with a couple of broody girls. I put a fish treat in several small bowls. I lifted both Smoke and Marmite out of the nest boxes and sat them on the patio.
I then rattled the corn tin to get the flocks attention and quickly put the dishes on the patio. The flock came running and I snapped away feeling pleased that I was getting all the girls in shot. Then I suddenly realised that one girl was missing. Vanilla wasn’t there.
I had checked the nest boxes but not the chicken shed. Vanilla was in the corner of the chicken shed and gave me the broody growl when I picked her up. By the time I had put her on the patio the rest of the girls had wandered off. Doh! I was mad at myself for not noticing that Vanilla was missing.
Today I decided to try again. This time I filled the little bowls with mash. I lifted Vanilla from the chicken shed first as that is more awkward than lifting girls from the nest boxes. I then lifted Smoke and Marmite and lined the three broody girls in a row on the patio. A shake of the corn and then quickly put the mash down.
Bingo! I got a couple of shots with all ten girls before the broody girls headed off again.
Vanilla in the corner of the chicken shed
Mash for the flock
All ten girls in shot, hurrah!
So we have Flame, front row, left. Spangle next at the dish. Salmon next at the front and Jasmine at the dish on the right. Next row back we have Smoke at the dish, Marmite next and Vanilla on the right. Back row we have Speckles on the left, Ebony in the middle and Cinnamon on the right just leaving the patio.
I can’t believe we now have three broodies at once. Smoke who started first had laid nine eggs in twelve days. Marmite went next after ten eggs in seventeen days and now Vanilla after just six eggs in eleven days.
Eggs are a bit down in numbers all round at the moment. Cinnamon, Salmon and Jasmine are averaging two eggs a week. Spangle lays one egg every two weeks. Ebony and Flame are averaging four eggs a week and of course Speckles doesn’t lay at all. Oh well, that’s how it goes!
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Your chickens are all in lovely shape. I have some pretty rough looking girls from when we had roosters. I can’t believe how clean your pen is. Did you clean it just for the shot? You have such different looking chickens – so easy to tell them apart! -Jenn
Thank you. There are a few moulting a few feathers but nothing that shows too much.
No I didn’t clean it just before. I always keep it clean. I have had visitors saying that they didn’t know chickens were so clean and I said that they aren’t it’s because I clean up every day. I like to keep it as clean as I can. I tell the girls off they poop on their patio area and I do mop up any blips every time I go in because that the area where I stand.
What I love about seramas is that they are all different and as you say no trouble to tell apart. I have always named my girls with descriptive names. Thanks for looking in.
Nice picture of all the girls together.
It took a second day to get those photos but this time I only took a few and managed it.
With Vanilla if I can try to break her quickly it only takes a couple of days but once she is past that we are in for the long haul. Knowing this I lifted her every time I went in to the girls and sure enough it only took two days.
Last night Vanilla was perched up at bedtime and today she has stayed out all day so we are back to two broodies. Those two are sticking with it!
Lovely-looking flock.
Thank you. I was really pleased with these shots as it’s not easy to show off the whole flock.