Chickens know Spring is on the way.

Most of my birds are pure breeds and go off lay from November; but, they also know when Spring is on the way because they are now, slowly but surely, coming back into lay.

It's a lovely moment finding eggs from the bantams again.

Although Coco laid 5 eggs at the end of December, she seems to have gone off lay again - probably thought a clutch of 5 was enough to keep us going for the time being!

The ducks seem to be getting the same idea (although they lay all year round) because this morning, I noticed Pikkle was chasing Halo for a piggy back ride. Bless him

Nature really is a wonderful thing.

 

My girls are Hybrids Mum and as you know they pump out eggs all year round there's only Willow that's not as regular at the moment but it looks like she started on a moult....why choose now.....-8 degrees.. silly girl......don't know where she gets it from

 

One of my girls is having a moult too; maybe it's hot flushes

I like the predictability of year rounders, but I really love the seasonality of the pure breeds. Very like gardening in some ways because hybrids are the evergreens and pure breeds are the seasonal flowers.

 

Mine are Rhodys x light sussex.....still after some pure breeds though....there you go again Mum....putting ideas in my head

 

I only have two hybrids: one light sussex and one red one.

Don't know if you saw, but, I did create a GC album of my chooks and quackers; so you can see the pure breeds there if you are interested.

**Disclaimer: These posts and pictures are not a form of brainwashing to entice loli to increase her flock; any increase in loli's stock is of her own volition**

 

Like you Mum, I've noticed egg production beginning to pick up this month after a bit of a lull in December. It always amazes me how egg laying starts to improve about a week or so after the shortest day every year.

With the ground frozen and more snow on the way, my first job this weekend will be to organize the hens' annual winter sojourn in the greenhouse. They love it in there and usually respond by laying even more.

 

No eggs from mine at all since November! I'm starting to really look forward to my home laid boiled egg and soldiers now, not too much longer I hope...

 

One of our hens has now 'laid' her second ovary so that's most definitely the end of her egg laying days. But she's a lovely hen and now starts her well earned retirement.