Bright red combs

When poor Treacle was ill, her comb shrunk to half it’s size and was pale and grey. Since she has gone I have noticed how bright red and healthy the other girls combs are.

Dotty has taken the longest time to mature which I think was because she was born a month later in the year than the others. Now she has matured she has the brightest red comb and although she only started laying eggs nine days ago, she now lays the biggest eggs. Maybe this slower maturing has been good for her.

Pepper and Dotty are both dominiques but I think they are quite different from each other. Pepper is more squat, lower to the ground, Dotty is slightly taller, narrower and more upright. Dotty has the black mark on her beak which is becoming more noticeable, a good instant way to tell them apart.

Dotty’s bright red comb and wattles

Pepper’s comb

Pepper’s comb looks dirty but actually she has little spiky grey feathers around her comb and some are just sticking over her comb.

Dotty’s beak has a little black mark on it

Pepper’s comb and wattles

Bluebell has a floppy comb

Yesterday I cut down one of the bushes in the run. It was an ancient hebe that had been dying for years and had finely given up. I was going to dig it out but my husband suggested leaving the bottom branches to provide another perch for the girls. Up until now the girls didn’t seem to notice it, but today Bluebell discovered it could be used as a perch.

Bluebell finds a new perch

Now Bluebell has discovered a new perch it should only be a matter of time before the other girls find it!