Rainy Day Ramblings

The chooks were going absolutely stir crazy today after days being pent up because of wet weather, so I decided to let them out despite the rain. I'd been keeping them in, thinking that young chooks can get sick if they get wet, but after asking advice from some of my more experienced chicken keeping friends, I was assured that this only applies to chicks and young fowl less than 20 weeks of age.

All my girls are past 20 weeks, so I decided this morning, to let them out.

When I got to the henhouse, there was a pleasant surprise awaiting me. Bertha had laid her first egg! My 'baby' sussex is now a big girl.

 Hers is the egg at right in the picture. Sadly, it got a little fouled in the production, which can happen occasionally, but it was easily washed. The plastic eggs at either end of the real ones are 'dummies' placed in the nest to encourage the hens to use the nestbox rather than laying out in the yard, or on the ground in the chicken run.

There was also a visitor in the yard, today. A little scrub turkey had come to call.

I think this was a male bird and only young as his wattles aren't fully developed as yet. I don't know if he was just passing through, or was checking out our yard with a view to building his nest mound here. He seemed a bit confused, thinking my birds were female scrub turkeys. He kept following them around, making his soft little Goob? Goob? call, but if he got too close either Boss, or Rosie chased him off. I left them alone as the chooks seemed to have the situation under control. The last I saw of "Goober" he was heading down the driveway at a jog after I shut the hens in for the night. I wonder if he decided this wasn't the best place for a nest after all?

The chooks seemed to enjoy their rainy day ramble and weren't too wet when I put them in for the night.

Bertha got a little muddy, though it is hard to see here.

Wynona looked the most bedraggled but Boss's
gloss is still present. 

Nosie Rosie has wet hackles but the rest is fairly dry.

Waiting for dinner.

The wild bird mix that we have scattered for sprouting in what will be the summer run for the chooks is loving this wet weather!

So, that was the rainy day that was, here at Feathered Petticoats.