We’d guessed that Gerry had been a bit of a late starter, but we had previously thought that all of our three laying ladies were producing eggs, even though the tally didn’t quite add up. But, it seems that we were proved wrong, as we’ve recently had our first proper three egg day.
Three hens-a-laying (left to right): Margot, Gerry, and Barbara’s eggs
With impeccable timing, it was at the start of last week, just in time for Christmas. It was a good job, too, as we needed some more of the chickens’ eggs for the neighbours’ Christmas hampers, which we put on their doorsteps on Christmas morning. Our friends in the road were very pleased; the eggs rubbed shoulders with jars of home made apple chutney, apple jelly, green tomato chutney, and bottles of home brewed beer wine.
Our home made 2008 Christmas hampers, full of self sufficient goodies
But, now that Gerry has matured (she now has yellow feet and an ever-growing comb) and started to lay properly, she’s getting a boisterous streak. It may be that with her new found skill, she’s also got new found confidence to quite literally bite the hands that feed her and her feathery chums.
Just last night when Nik went out to collect the eggs that had been laid later in the day, she nipped his hand through the egg collecting hatch of the Omlet Cube. And, on Christmas Eve she carried out a blocking tactic, standing in the doorway of the chicken house so that we couldn’t close the door and make sure that all three hens were safe for the night.
She’s certainly not living up to her hen-pecked Good Life TV character namesake, more the ginger-haired mischievous one formerly from the Spice Girls. And, rather fittingly, her personality seems to be getting spicier by the day…
Tags: Chicken-keeping, Make your own