Nest box antics

Whenever I lift the lid to the nest box to see if there is an egg some of the girls come running to have a look too.

Yesterday it was Honey and Emerald’s turn.

Honey and Emerald check out the nest box

They both have pink combs

Later in the day Barley was missing and I could hear scratching in the nest box. I peeped in and she was settled so I went off to get my camera. I am trying to gain evidence of which girl is laying.

By the time I got back Honey and Peaches had disturbed Barley and she came out of the nest box shouting.

Barley is cross

This was the photo I ended up with. Barley is tossing her comb in annoyance while Peaches keeps her company anyway.

I thought that at least when I found an egg later I would know that it would probably be Barley’s.

Later when the guys came to do the work in the run I checked the same nest box. Topaz stepped out when I lifted the lid and there was an egg. Now I still can’t be completely sure but I think it is most probably Barley’s egg and Topaz just went in to sit on it. She came out quietly with no egg shout.

So far I have credited four eggs to Barley and two to Topaz but I now have my doubts. I think that all six were probably Barley’s eggs. Looking back at when Barley and Peaches  first started laying, Barley started two weeks before Peaches and laid at about the same rate of the eggs we are getting now. I can’t be sure without catching them in the act but I think I am going to alter my record to Barley laying all six eggs.

Only time will tell.