Posts Tagged green eggs

"Queen Tulip" Sitting on Don's Lap

Thought you’d like to know that Tulip is doing well in her cage in the garden shed. She was so depressed when she was being picked on in the chicken run, I was afraid she was just going to lie down and give up. Now she is talking to me when I go visit her and enjoying her regular feed, yogurt, and tuna (supposed to help her grow her feathers back).

Tulip (I call her “Queen Tulip” because she is so regal looking) is so much a part of our flock. I’d hate to lose her. She’s a bit aloof; not the first to jump on our laps. But when her feet are cold, she’s right there. I like her because she’s mellow and calm most of the time. Not typical of chickens. She seldom is noisy unless she lays one of her big, beautiful, light green eggs. Then she is the first to let us know (with Sweetpea cheering her on). It can be quite a chorus at times.

Hopefully, Tulip will be back in the run in no time. Thanks for your good wishes.

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Draining Rainwater from the Outdoor Run

It has been an eventful holiday season in the ole chicken coop. Heavy rains along the coast brought unexpected flooding. We live on a slight downslope. Water drains from the forested open space behind our property and on down the hill. Standing water has never been a problem but, then again, we’ve never had 10 inches of rain in such a short amount of time. During the heavy rains, the empty gopher holes looked like little springs with clear water bubbling up and out. Wonder where the gophers are hiding?

Making its way downward to the ocean, the water spread across the outdoor run and stayed there. It was two inches deep in areas. The hens spent much of their time on the milk crates and the ladder. Luckily, the indoor coop has a cement floor that stayed high and dry but these birds are used to being outside and only go inside to lay and to roost at night. For two days, they waded about in confusion. Eventually we made a small trench through the outdoor run that provided an escape route for the sitting water.

Ameraucana and Buff Orpington are Laying Again!

The good news in the chicken coop had us all cheering (even the hens). Our dear Daisy, a pretty Buff Orpinton, was ill last spring. See “Daisy is Ill”. She hasn’t layed since then. Daisy is one of my favorite hens: gentle, tame, calm. I consider her a pet. After her first molt in the fall, she began laying those beautiful brown eggs again. I think that she is as happy as we are. Tulip, the Ameraucana, also finished her molt and has resumed laying her green eggs once again. What a pleasure to find those lovely pale green eggs among the brown.

Golden Laced Wyandotte is Molting

There are more falling feathers in the mud of the chicken coop. Petunia is experiencing her first molt. The golden laced Wyandotte, the prettiest and the meanest of the six, is shedding her golden fleece. She and Sweetpea mope around, listless and lethargic, with bare bottoms and necks, waiting for their new coats to grow in. When they do, they’ll look renewed and refreshed and will hopefully resume laying again. We’ll all be happy, then.

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Ameruacana Hen Has Muffler & Beard

Tulip is a beautiful Ameraucana hen. Her long, dark legs and neck make her stand out. She has what is called a “muffler and beard” (fluffy feathers that surround her face). We are glad to say that she is back from her moulting experience.

Hen Stops Laying When Moulting

She has been the first hen to go through a moult and become a real “ugly duckling”. What a sight! No feathers on her neck, no wing feathers, and no tail feathers. Knowing she was not her pretty self, she became even shyer.

We’re glad to say that Tulip has become her old self again. Her tail feathers have grown back. Her wings have sufficient feathers to allow her to fly to the second ladder level, and her appetite for treats has returned. Best of all, she’s laying those beautiful green eggs again! Welcome back, Tulip.