Sing! Sing a song!

Sing out loud, sing out strong! The pullets are singing all the time now. And I've even had a lot of bawk, bawk, BUHgawks lately. All, of course, being signs that they're almost ready to start laying. David started working on the nest condos this past weekend and finished them up last evening. I left the perches up last night when they went to roost, and they didn't show much interest in them or even seem to notice they were there. This morning when I let them out of the henhouse, I lowered the perches and put some pine shavings in each one and a couple of wooden eggs that I had bought at a flea market a few weeks ago. I'm going to replace the pine shavings with hay this weekend. Little Red, a Rhode Island Red, was very curious, as she is about everything I do, but she didn't hop up to investigate further.


Some of the pullets' combs and wattles and, really, their whole faces are turning bright red. Another sure sign that laying is near. They will be 17 weeks on Saturday, which is still early for heavy breeds, but I've heard of some laying at 18 weeks. I'm glad David got the nest boxes done early so they can practice and get used to them being in the henhouse. Can't wait to taste those yummy eggs!

Goldie


Henrietta and Peep


We didn't make it to the state fair this weekend. Kind of a bummer. David was off on Friday, but he had so many things to catch up on, the day was gone before we knew it and we were just too tired to make the drive. Our guests, David's cousin and wife, were too burned out from their recent stint at the Butler County fair to be up for it, so we stayed home and had a campfire in the pit and made S'mores. It was a 'fair' substitute. The leftover ashes will make a great dust bath for the chickens.