More New Chooks upon our return from Yellowstone

I've been so delighted with Cagney's personality. Ben at the Poultry Centre told me that Peking Bantams were super friendly, and she really is. She climbs on my feet when I'm in the WIR giving treats and is simply totally engaging. So I decided to go back to the Poultry Centre at Bell's Garden Centre, near Towcester, and get two more bantam Pekings.

Cue Muffin and Peggy. Not as outgoing as Cagney but lovely nevertheless. And I've never had such a gentle introduction of new chickens. A small amount of pecking and scuttling away and the pecking order is established. None of the bullying that went on when Buffy, Willow and Cordelia arrived, which had Cordelia hiding under the water bowls.

As I see it, the pecking order is:

Cagney, with Maggie as her 2nd in command

Then Porsche and Cordelia as her pal - they seem to have clubbed together with the arrival of the newbies

Then Muffin, then Peggity and bottom of all is, I think, Lacey

Such a lovely flock. They have been outside while I worked in the shed, so are now trying to get out every time I open the door. Can't let them out with all the foxes around.

I'll post some photos soon.

New Chooks - Maggie, Cagney and Lacey

 Two chickens, Porsche and Cordelia, just wasn't quite enough. I discovered a Poultry Centre at the Bell Plantation just north of Towcester. What a lovely place. So much bigger than I expected with lots of different types of shops. Great for Christmas Shopping I think.

At the Poultry centre I found exactly what I was looking for. I got another Silver Laced Wyandotte bantam, a Blue Laced Wyandotte bantam and a lovely ginger and black Peking bantam.

Back when I was starting out keeping bantams, Esther tried to get me a blue laced wyandotte - she found a breeder who had a clutch of eggs hatching so Esther ordered for my birthday. Unfortunately something went wrong and nothing hatched. Finally, I have my blue laced. It is actually grey but it is very lovely.

We have called them Maggie (named after the Newcastle Magpies - black and white strip, when I joked with Ant that they were all vaccinated against Newcastle disease). Cagney (Peking) and Lacey (blue laced wyandotte).

I was worried about bullying when they arrived after Mapp, Lucia and Porsche had made the lives of Buffy, Willow and Cordelia so awful at the start that I kept them apart for ages. I needn't have worried.

Porsche pottered up to Cagney who immediately gave her no doubts as to who was top chicken. I've seen Porsche trying it on a bit with Lacey who is more nervous, but Cagney hears the noise and heads over to see what gives. Thank goodness.

Apparently, according to Ben from the Poultry Centre, they are between 23 and 26 weeks old. Today I had my first teeny egg - they definitely aren't full grown yet.

Lacey today started eating the fluffy feathers that Cordelia had shed when moulting recently. That looked really odd and I didn't think it would be good for her so I had to hand pick up all the shed feathers. Hopefully I got them all and she can forget this odd habit.

Photos:

RIP Lucia

Sadly this blog is becoming a bit of a chicken obituary blog. Having been away for the weekend to Innsbruck for the International Accordion Competition (we came 5th out of 160 which was pretty good), Janet checked the chickens yesterday and they were fine. Today when I went down, Lucia had passed away. I'm pretty sure she died in the night - basically went to sleep and didn't wake up. No signs of any trauma so nicely gentle.

Lucia and Porsche were my oldest chickens at over 11 1/4 years old (arrived in Spring 2014) so I don't think it will be long before we lose Porsche.

This photo was from last Wednesday when I sent it to Janet (who feeds them when we are away) to show her what creatures of habit they are. Every day when I fill up their little footballs with corn treats, Lucia would come and stand on the edge and eat from the tub. Last Wednesday, Porsche was doing it with her which looked really funny but by the time I'd got my phone out Porsche had wandered off. Still, I'm pleased to have this recent memento showing how happy she was. RIB Lucia