Between blotch and blok

Is now the ex-and-buried Mrs Black). She looked a little sad early yesterday afternoon. I then forgot to check on her before we went out in the evening--and checking on her when we got in would have been a little pointless. She was dead in the pod this lunchtime, with Miss Speckledy say disconsolate next to her and Mrs Blue being her usual self.

Since I removed the body, they've both been hooting rather disconsonsolately. Odd for Mrs Blue, since she had a habit (ameliorated by the presence of Miss Speckedly) of pecking Mrs Black. Mrs Blue is doing a pretty good moult at present, too.

I hadn't been planning on cleaning the run until tomorrow. But at least the sun's shone on my efforts.

* I'm trying to remember how long we've had Mrs Black (it must be three since we took on Miss Speckledy and we had Mrs Black then). I got her from somewhere in Essex courtesy of a lift with smallphoenix several years back on a joint acquisition trip (a chicken run?). So, not too short a life, tho' I'm not quite cetain how happy. She was always bottom of the pecking order, and nervy with it.