One of my tasks as chicken keeper (or as Victoria Pekin-Bantam would term it, 'servant' or even 'skivvy') is to periodically place them on the scales to check they're a healthy weight. The chickens do differ from one season to the next. For exam…
One of my tasks as chicken keeper (or as Victoria Pekin-Bantam would term it, 'servant' or even 'skivvy') is to periodically place them on the scales to check they're a healthy weight.
The chickens do differ from one season to the next. For example, they can be heavier when they're laying eggs.
A note is taken of their weight and any major difference or steady decline has to be investigated further.
There will always be a chicken who will naturally be the lightest (it is currently Eliza). Mabel was the heaviest and biggest chicken of all the Cosy Cottage bantams but surprisingly Little Ava, despite her appearance of being petite - certainly until the new girls arrived - was always a compact, sturdy bantam.
Both girls were of a healthy weight (913g and 725g), so no worries there.
I also noticed that Victoria's rear was not quite pristine as it should be so, taking advantage of the warm, sunny weather, they both ended up with a bath. Most chickens don't require bathing, indeed they - as do Victoria and Eliza - preen themselves and enjoy a dustbath in good weather. But fluffy breeds like pekins can collect dirt and mud in their feathers.
I expected angry squawking from Eliza and an affronted speech from Victoria but they both patiently tolerated this further indignity.
"Sit back and think of worms" was Victoria's advice to the usually skittish Eliza. And judging by her calmness, that must have been exactly what she was doing.
'Pekin Bantam chickens are some of the tiniest chickens on the planet. Hens can reach between 20 and 25 cm in height. Pekin Bantam hens weigh around 570g. Roosters can grow between 25 and 30 cm in height and weigh approximately 680g.'
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