The favourite nest box

There is always one favourite nest box. It seems to be the one that is chosen by the first girl of the day to lay. After this all the girls want this nest box and the others will remain unused. The current favourite nest box is the left little coop and today was no exception.

I had heard Barley give out her egg shout but when I went up to check Barley was back in the run. However Toffee, Emerald and Topaz were missing. Toffee and Emerald had been showing interest in the nest box earlier so I knew they were due to lay.

This was what I found.

The favourite nest box

Poor Toffee is squashed in the middle between Emerald and Topaz. A short time later Emerald emerged. I couldn’t see an egg as Toffee and Topaz were taking up all the space. A little while later Toffee emerged. I still couldn’t see an egg as by now Topaz had spread herself over the box and fluffed herself up in the broody pose.

I tried ruffling her tail feathers but she wasn’t going to move. I resorted to the fishing net that I had used last year to remove her. She came out shouting.

There in the nest box were three eggs pushed close together. There was one white one which I knew would be Barley’s egg from earlier and two larger round buff coloured ones which I knew would be Emerald’s and Toffee’s. Topaz is determined to sit on any eggs she can.

Once out though I gave her some spinach and she settled down so hopefully I can keep her from sitting once the other girl’s eggs are removed from the nest box. She is so quick to get in the nest box if there is either an egg or a girl laying. She really does want to keep all the eggs she can but alas for her it is not to be.