Tuesday 14 January 2014

Richard and Richard.



I had intended to write about two of the most useless chickens in the history of chickenworld.

Richard and Richard hadn't laid an egg for about 3 months, and frankly my patience was wearing extremely thin.

They seemed to think that they were simply family pets, and that I kept and fed them just to look beautiful (which they certainly aren't). But, in fact, they have just one role in life (as do most hens), and that is to keep the fridge stocked with a reasonable amount of fresh eggs.

Bloody things; I didn't have the heart to threaten them, and as a last resort I tried them out with a couple of plastic eggs in their laying boxes, and if that didn't do the trick.........

But occasionally miracles do happen. The plastic eggs, some nice fresh comfy straw, and a thick carpet of sawdust, and voila; the very next morning they laid an egg. And here it is.


It even looks like a double-yolker; they've been reprieved. 

Since the one above, they've laid more, but they'd better keep the production flowing. The guillotine had been winched into position, but for the moment it's been tied-off.

And the moral of this tale: chickens need to be pampered!




22 comments:

  1. Why are two hens named Richard? No wonder they don't want to lay eggs....you gave them rooster names!

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    Replies
    1. My grandsons named them. Firstly they named one (Richard), then I asked them to name the other (Richard again). Who was I to deny them their choice of names!

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  2. Was it Richard that layed the egg, or Richard?

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    Replies
    1. One is slightly asthmatic.... I think it was her (on the right above).

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  3. laying a double yolker would leave me a little asthmatic too...

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    Replies
    1. Maybe that's why Richard wheezes all the time.

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  4. Funny names for hens. And both called the same. I like it very much though. My cat is called Thomas and always being told she is a good girl.

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  5. I don't think hens are meant to lay overwinter - I am sure they will lay more as the daylight increases.

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    Replies
    1. Last year they laid all through winter, even when we were 1 ft deep in snow.

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  6. Well done Richard.. or was it Richard? Maybe they are going to take turns laying and will each lay a double yolker on alternate days.
    Ours are just starting to lay, thank goodness.
    Gill

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  7. Cro, Your comment over at Weaver has inspired a poem! It involves not a mobile phone but a piece of cloth.

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  8. Marcia is that broody at the moment, if she sat on a golf ball it would hatch!

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    Replies
    1. Lady M used to be like that; I bought her a dog!

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    2. Oooh another baby, how lovely! Maybe?

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  9. A little chicken psychology there...good job.

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  10. Well done Richard .. you know all us girls like to be pampered .. Richard .. and Richard are no different!
    Enjoy your eggs ...

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  11. I've been wondering how Richard and Richard were doing!
    Such good girls to reward you for your pampering. :)

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  12. Bless em! By mad coincidence our old bird Leia started laying again yesterday! I didn't think she would this time around - perhaps it was global egg laying day!

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  13. I love their names!

    A friend of mine has five chickens named Brenda, Brenda, Brenda, Brenda and Brenda.

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