I thought it was time to do an update on the flock. They are all fine. Salmon still has a slight wheeze but it’s not as bad as it has been in the past. I would dearly love for her to stop wheezing altogether but she looks well so I just hope that one day it will completely disappear.
Speckles had a sort of shallow breathing for a while where we could see her feathers going up and down with her breaths. We assumed that this was due to her old age. We then noticed that after I had treated the girls with a course of tylan her breathing has returned to normal. We now wonder if due to her age she was having a slight respiratory problem due to the myco and the tylan has now cleared it.
Speckles is looking good although you can see her age in her eyes. She is also much slower to go to the treats but she seems fine.
Ebony is moulting again. Feathers are drifting from her and are under her roost spot in the mornings. She has lost her confidence with the moult which is something we have noticed often happens. Ebony was always first to the treats but now shows no interest although she did get a few worms when I dug the run over today. She slowly mooches about and has a sort of tilted down stance.
Smoke has laid six eggs in nine days and will probably go broody again before long. It is good to be getting a few eggs. All the other girls are the same as they usually are.
Speckles
Flame
Ebony with slightly downward stance
Salmon
Spangle
Marmite still has pins on her head
Smoke
They are such a lovely flock and I hope we can get them all safely through the winter as it’s been a tough year for loses. Fingers crossed that we can keep the flock this size for a good while.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
All so pretty but Spangle is especially endearing! xx
I took one photo of Spangle because she just poses but I took about eight shots of Smoke and all were blurred because she constantly moves her head and the final shot she isn’t looking at the camera but it was the best I could get. Spangle is such a sweetie that I can always get a quick shot of her. She is a very endearing girl and I love her to bits. xx
Some lovely pictures, they all look so healthy.
They are looking pretty good. Smoke has just laid again.
All looks well, including Salmon. Speckles seems very much o be the ‘grande dame’ of the flock. Enjoy the eggs – you’ll be right that Smoke will turn broody again before too much longer! I spoke too soon about Blackie: she is now broody, so no eggs at all here, although both Cotton and Butterscotch, both looking good, were both ‘singing’ today when I cleaned out th hen house. I think you’re right about my welsummers: maybe by March!
Speckles is definitely the “grande dame” of the flock. Most days she is at the centre of the little girls while Ebony and Flame perch together.
It is amazing how the broody girls take no notice of the time of year. With luck you may be getting eggs from Cotton and Butterscotch soon Sprinkles and Speckles in March.