R.I.P. T-Bone

T-Bone, the beginning hen of this year's misfit flock, is dead.  Looks like a raccoon got her during the day earlier this week.  I noticed that I was short one of my novogens but couldn't quite pin down who was gone.  The hens tend to run all over.

Finally got a good look at the Saturday when I was home in the afternoon rather than just sun up and sun down as happens during the week.  It was T-Bone who was gone.  She's been a loner so I hoped she was just not with the bunch, but she didn't come in that night.  Found her on the far side of the ravine under the hawthorn.  Beheaded, gutted and skinned.  Wasps have taken up residence in her corpse so I can't pick her up and bury her either.

That's 2 down

So, here is the current population:

Bonnie
Clyde
Fabio
Suzanne
Porky
Pearl
Pru
Flossy
Flo

And they've stopped laying eggs.  I think they are molting.  Once they are re-feathered I hope they start again but some of the ladies are SO OLD that one cannot count on that.  The banties are so small I'd need a paring knife to butcher them out.  Not sure it would be worth it.  What then?

Anyway, the roosters.

Clyde, easter egger who arrived with Bonnie, is filling out!   He got his cheek poofs which look like sideburns out of an early film version of a Dickens novel.  He got a bit bigger.  Still smaller than Fabio but they both have lovely blond manes now. 
Clyde also learned to crow or finally got his voice.  It's high pitched than Fabio's and doesn't carry as far.  Fabio has more success with the ladies.  Clyde's approach is epicly clumsy.  Rather than flirt with the lady BY him.  He spots someone in the distance and takes off running with his head down.  Generally the lady hears/sees him coming and averts the advance.  Porky, the giant barred rock, kicks the bejesus out of him.   She's taken on Fabio to.  Gramma always said that old hens turn into roosters.  I'll have to check her for spurs (Porky, not Gramma).

I did see Fabio treating the ladies.  He shared an apple core with them.  That's good cock behavior. 
One point for Fabio.

Ball is in Clyde's court now. 

Once the roosters start fighting I'll have to pick one and eat the other.  The contest has commenced!