This is my blog about the day to day lives of my little flock of pet chickens. They're a happy little flock, although they're totally crackers! If you want a laugh, they'll gladly give you one.


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Thursday 13 October 2011

Eggsactly which is which

Having such a small flock, it's easy enough to know which egg was laid by which chicken.

The Araucanas both lay blue-green eggs and smugly think I can't tell who laid which one.  They seem blissfully unaware that for starters Punk's eggs are larger than her sister's, while Rebecca's are rounder.  Sometimes Punk likes to add a little decoration to the top quarter of the shell in the form of a muddy brown "hat" with a wavy line round the edge.   Very artistic.    Even when their eggs are sitting in the frying pan, we still know which is which.   Punk's yolks are larger, Rebecca's are a much deeper orange.

On the subject of decoration, Maggie's pale brown offerings come complete with assorted polka dots; well, maybe that's a slight exaggeration.  But they do have dots of varying sizes, shapes and colours, and the patterns vary with each egg.

Tu-Tu's eggs are uniformly pale cream and don't usually vary in colour or shape.   But they have the strongest taste of all and by far the toughest shell to crack open.

As mentioned in my very first post, Pom-Pom detests the whole process of egg laying and is hugely relieved that she doesn't have to do it now that she's moulting.   Although her eggs are always bright white, what shape they will be is anybody's guess!  She's produced them in every possible contour, from small and round to long, thin and pointy.

Titian lays the most beautiful, deep brown eggs.   Her artistic contribution is to always add a bit of purple here and there.  It often takes the form of delicate brush strokes, but sometimes there are little dots or splodges.  Whatever the pattern, you can be sure it's in the best of taste.

Irene's eggs are always a lighter brown than Titian's, but the actual shade can vary from one day to the next.  When I say "one day to the next", sometimes she'll lay two days on the trot, then she forgets (she's easily distracted).

And finally we come to Fizz.  Yes, yes, I  know he's a cockerel and you know he's a cockerel.   But from time to time he is to be found sitting in a nest box, a look of concentration on his little face.   He's learned so much in other ways from the girls that I have to assume he's trying to copy their egg laying skills too!

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