Our second, four egg day, this year

Egg laying has really got going this month and the girls are so funny about it. Firstly they all pile into the coop when I poop pick in the mornings and it can be quite a task trying to clear up with all my helpers ducking under my arms, standing on my hands and generally really trying to “help”me.

Next thing is one of the girls wants to lay and the others are so nosey that they insist on trying to watch. I can tell when a girl is in one of the little coups by the fact that another girl will be watching intently.

This morning Emerald was in the left little coop and at first Peaches was stood on the coop looking in. I have also seen Emerald in this position when either Peaches or Barley are in the coop and it looks so comical.

Peaches checks on Emerald

Emerald flicks pine shavings on to her back

In the wild chickens would find a spot under a bush to lay their eggs and being vulnerable sitting on the ground, they would toss leaves or grass on to their back to help camouflage themselves. This instinct causes them to toss pine shavings over their back. It doesn’t really work when they have me lifting the lid to check on them and Peaches just being nosey.

Peaches has to take a closer look

I retreated to give Emerald some peace and next time I checked on her she was just leaving the nest box with her warm egg inside it. Emerald’s eggs are bigger than the other girls and are similar in size to medium shop bought eggs.

For the first time this year Toffee investigated all three nest boxes so I am sure she is getting ready to lay soon.

For the first time this year Toffee goes into the coop

After this Toffee checked out both of the little coops

Topaz did the same thing she does most days. She settles in the right coop and eventually comes out shouting but when I check there is no egg. She has laid eight eggs this year then stopped three weeks ago but continues to sit in the nest box most days. I find this a complete mystery.

Peaches and Barley laid well in November and December but slowed right down in January and February. I think they were experiencing a mini moult but while not laying they didn’t bother going in the nest boxes which makes perfect sense. They then resumed laying in March nearly every day.

Topaz on the other hand continues to sit in the nest box even when she doesn’t lay. She did this all last summer and this year she was laying in January and February but has stopped in March while continuing to go in the nest box most days. It’s as if she thinks she is laying. She looks in prime condition with the most red comb of all the girls. It seems that she just has this quirk where egg laying is concerned.

Topaz does this every day but hasn’t laid for three weeks

Peaches and Barley laid their white eggs in the left coop soon after I took this photo. Late afternoon Honey settled in the left coop which suddenly seems to have become more popular. Not long after she laid her smaller, cream coloured, egg. It had a perfect shell so I am pleased to say that she seems to have passed through her little blip and is back to normal.

That concludes, our second four egg, day this year. I am sure Toffee is going to lay soon and it will be interesting to see what our highest total in one day will be. I have to say that the girls behaviour around their egg laying is quite entertaining.