Peaches and Barley have just started their moult and their eggs have dropped to one, from either one or other girl, about every four days with the last one laid two days ago. I think we may not get any more from them this year as today I found quite a few feathers from them in the run.
That leaves only two girls laying (Honey and Butterscotch) and two large nest boxes between them so you wouldn’t think there would much of a problem there. Wrong!
This afternoon Honey was in the left nest box and Topaz (the perpetual broody) was in the right nest box all fluffed up. Butterscotch who lays nearly every day wanted to lay her egg. She stood outside the nest boxes shouting very loudly.
Honey is still laying an egg, on average, every three days and I knew she was due to lay so didn’t want to disturb her. Topaz however doesn’t lay at all so I thought it would be best to move her out to allow Butterscotch to go in.
Topaz was angry and shouting and trying to return to the nest box so I distracted her with some grapes.
A little later Butterscotch was once again shouting loudly and when I back to check Topaz was back in the nest box and Butterscotch was pacing outside. I once again removed Topaz and allowed Butterscotch to go in.
There was a bit more shouting then it went quiet so I went in to check on them.
Butterscotch has had to share the nest box with Topaz
Honey is still in the other nest box
Butterscotch is settled whereas Topaz is giving me the angry eye
Topaz made it known to me that she didn’t appreciate me taking photos. I left them to it.
I was surprised that Butterscotch would choose angry Topaz to share with until my husband reminded me that a few days ago Honey had pulled feathers from Butterscotch when she tried to share with her. Maybe she is smarter than we think. Topaz is all bark and no bite (or should that be peck!) whereas, normally gentle Honey, will pull feathers from Butterscotch in a nest box dispute.
A short while later Butterscotch was shouting as she always does when she has laid her egg. Topaz was sat on Butterscotch’s egg and all fluffed up. I moved Topaz to take away Butterscotch’s egg and set her off shouting again.
Once the egg was removed and both Butterscotch and Honey had left the nest boxes, Topaz left too and all was peaceful again. Honey hadn’t laid after all but she often does this. Sometimes she doesn’t seem to know when she is going to lay and will go in the nest box for a period of time for a couple of days before finally getting her egg laid.
If there is this much fuss with two girls laying I wonder what it will be like when they are all laying.
Up until recently we had a third nest box in the coop. I think next year when they all start laying again we will put another nest box or two in the chicken shed but we will leave it until spring because I think before long Butterscotch will be our only girl laying.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Their relationships and behaviours are just so interesting. Butterscotch does not look as big, beside the pseudo-broody Topaz.
You are right on both counts. I too find their relationships so interesting and also as you say, normally Butterscotch is bigger than Topaz but when Topaz is trying to be broody she looks bigger and that is not as big as she looked last year when she committed to being broody for three weeks (after we had been away for one night) and was even more puffed up!
Also you can see her anger and of all the girls she has the reddest comb yet doesn’t lay. We joke that she will be the longest lived, healthiest and laying her one clutch of eggs into old age because she doesn’t have any of the usual stress hens have of egg laying throughout their lives.
She is the one girl that I am hoping will start to moult soon just to end this ongoing broody state. Topaz laid eight eggs between the months of January and February and then has followed that with six months of this perpetual broody state. Of all the forums and farms I have had contact with, no one has come across a girl like Topaz. She is unique! What can you do but just accept that this is her character and it is what it is!
What a lovely post .
Thank you.
Topaz, you noisy girl! (Though butterscotch could rival it, no?)
It is weird to find your hens laying one day, and the next day it has stopped. My Peach hasn’t layed in 2 months. Speckles has started again about 2 weeks ago, but it’s not always daily. Little slacker…?
Do any of your hens lay through the winter? Mine do, but not every day.
Topaz and Butterscotch are my two most noisy girls.
Last year Peaches and Barley laid all winter as it was their first year and they didn’t moult. I am hoping that this year Butterscotch will lay all winter as she was only hatched late last summer. I assume that as Speckles is moulting she must be a little older.
It is a bonus if you have some eggs in winter. I hate the thought of having to eat shop bought eggs.