Chickens love a dustbath as not only does it rid them of parasites, it's also a communal activity and they often enter a trance-like state, making purring and cooing noises as they invade the next one's personal space. Hens seem particularly keen although the cockerels do join in, just with less aplomb. If possible, there should be an area for year round use - needless to say the hens will choose any area but once they've found a spot they tend to return.
I've inherited two rather troublesome Pekin bantam cockerels and I have put them in with the Rhode Island Red x Light Sussex hybrids as they won't be bothered by the pint size boys. They've settled in together well and I can let them out with other cockerels as they're small enough to know their place!
Now that the days are lengthening, I'm getting eggs from all the girls so the selection on this morning's stall looked quite impressive:
So, left to right, we have duck eggs from the Call and Miniature Silver Appleyard; quail eggs from my two remaining birds; tiny bantam eggs from the Buff Sussex pullets and a quartet of large hen's eggs - including one monster one from Maud, the regular double-yolker. In the last post I didn't think she was going to make it but thankfully a couple of days on a high protein, carb-free diet sorted out the sour crop and she's now back laying and looking good after her moult. Sadly the Buff Orp with the pendulous crop had to be put down but her sisters Bessie and Bertha are in good shape. I'm hoping to use them as broodies this year but so far no signs from any of the hens in that regard!
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