It is some weeks since I pictured Pop, one of our Rhode Island Reds, looking a bit shabby as she started moulting. Thankfully, most of our eight girls are now coming through their moult, with a just a couple with a few feathers still developing. In keeping with the Englishman’s inherent support for the underdog, Pop has always been my favourite – she was the smallest, at the bottom of the pecking order, and somehow not the finest of specimens, even though I got to choose which birds to take from a good selection, but has a great personality. Now, though, she has grown into a good sized bird, no longer appears to be at the bottom of the pecking order, and her new feathers are looking great – sporting that deep, rich mahogany red colour that the Rhode Island Red is named for. Thankfully, none of our girls opted for the oven ready look and seem to have come through the moult with the minimum of bother. Continue reading →