Chickens and Eggs

The chickens are not getting along very well with the guineas this Winter. The guineas bully all the hens (except for the hen they think is their mother), always eat first, and take the best locations in the waste hay from the goat and sheep pens. Leopold doesn't do a very good job of protecting his girls but seems to enjoy being the King of the Guineas.

One day I decided to put a few sticks through the fence to see if the guineas would give the chickens a break by perching up off the ground. Turns out the chickens love the perches and spend vast amounts of time snuggling safely away from the guineas.

The guineas still perch above them on the fence line or in the trees, but the perches have really reduced the anxiety level in the coop area.

The chick that was born in late Fall seems to have started laying this week. I am amazed that I have noticed this - the shape of the egg gives it away.

Back in the days of store bought eggs the eggs all seemed to look alike, I never noticed much difference in the eggs in any particular carton. When I look at eggs now I can see that everyone is unique to its hen, and the hen always seems to lay eggs that look roughly the same. The new hens' egg is on the left and is smaller and light brown.  The egg next to it is tall and thin, lighter in color.  Lucy lays the darkest brown eggs with spots while Honey lays fat thick medium brown eggs.  I am shocked that I can associate the egg with the hen, amazing!