Yesterday the three girls that are laying at the momet all wanted to lay at the same time and in the same nest box. To add to this Amber also thought she wanted to lay too or maybe just to practice.
I got home at lunch time to hear a lot of shouting from the girls. Amber was in the left hand little coop and Sparkle was in the favourite right hand little coop. Topaz and Barley were watching Sparkle and shouting their heads off. I went into the house to grab my camera.
By the time I returned Amber was out and Barley had taken her place it the left coop. Topaz was shouting at Sparkle in the right coop.
Sparkle is in the favourite nest box and Topaz is outside shouting at her
Topaz wants this nest box
Barley has given up and gone into the other nest box
Sparkle left the right coop and Topaz quickly took her place.
Before long Barley decided the left coop wasn’t good enough and she really did want the favourite nest box.
Barley joins Topaz in the right coop
Barley gets close to Topaz
The next time I checked Barley was in the left coop again. I guess Topaz didn’t make her welcome.
I checked back a few moments later and Barley was out again and her warm egg was in the left coop, hurrah!
Sparkle was next to lay her egg and then Topaz returned to the favourite coop. It’s like a game of musical coops!
When I went up to give them their pre bedtime corn they were all out in the run waiting. I checked the coop again and Topaz hadn’t laid. I can’t believe after all the fuss today she didn’t even need to lay but this happens all the time with Topaz. She had only laid her egg two days ago and is only laying one a week at the moment so it shouldn’t have been a surprise.
Two eggs in a day is good at the the moment though. The last two egg day was two months ago. Spring is definitely on it’s way and the girls are getting ready to increase their laying.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Typical behaviour, which does make you smile. Doesn;t matter how many nest boxes you have, they will ignore some outright and everyone wants the same one at the same time! I’m convinced that’s how Dart started laying outside – being low-ranking, she was evicted more than once from the favourite nest box. Happy days!
It is crazy how they all want the favourite one and they make such a fuss about it. Poor Dart, you would think it would be better to go in a less favourite nest box rather than outside. They are funny creatures!
Oh how I agree mine have 4 and all go in the same one. As you know they gave laid in the little dog kennel for months now this week it is all in the little wooden coup never used before. Queuing up outside with their legs crossed .
As David says about dart, little Ruby has laid hers on the path twice. I’m sure she does not have time to queue .
It wouldn’t matter how many nest boxes we had, they would still all want the current favourite. Lets hope Ruby eventually makes it to the nest box.