Sun's out - get the camera!

The sun has had an amazing effect on Grace, she laid two eggs! I think she must have laid one yesterday evening and another this morning, as per usual. Ava also laid one, so incredibly when I looked into the nest I found three eggs. I haven't had that many since the girls first started laying, so I guess spring is here!

This is a bit of video of the chooks wandering the garden, along with the 'Nursery Cage'. The chicken that wanders to the left is Betsey the chick, who is only half grown!

I cover the cage at night to protect Ken the hen from the February temperatures, but she's quite happy in there along with some food and water. I couldn't catch her on the video - it's just too dark in there.

I checked the eggs she's sitting on today and they haven't started hatching yet, dammit! I'm so impatient.

This is a picture of Betsey, the world's biggest three month old chick, and below that is a family shot of Grace and George with their gigantic offspring that will, hopefully, be a daughter.

Betsey at nearly 13 weeks old.

Mum, Dad and Baby!

You can see from the size of Dad that Betsey should easily out-grow her Mum by the time she's fully grown at six months. I'm fascinated to see which characteristics have been bred from the cross - the Orpington has beautiful feathers and the Sussex is a great layer, (apart from Ava), so if I get those, what a fabulous chicken Betsey will be; big, fluffy and a good layer.

Are here they all are - though Ken is hidden in the nursery cage. I love this picture because it show the immense size of George the Buff Orpington and also the beauty of my bantam cockerel, Barnaby. He may be small, but he's perfectly formed.