Emerald lays her first egg of the year

I have thought recently that Emerald was getting ready to lay. Today she was very vocal and her face is very red. She settled herself in the nest box and flicked some shavings over her back.

A while later she gave a shout and when I checked there was a large egg. I remember that both Emerald and Toffee lay large eggs.

Emerald has a really red face

I am sure that I have never seen Emerald’s face so red. She has such a tiny comb but her face gets very red when she starts to lay. It is white during the winter months.

We now only have Toffee left to start and she is always the last, it was April last year, that is apart from Topaz who doesn’t seem to be bothering this year. Topaz laid eight eggs during January and February last year and six eggs during July and September the year before. I have never come across such an erratic layer before. I have no idea if she will begin to lay this year at some stage.

It’s odd because she practised in December and January but didn’t actually lay and she hasn’t been sitting on other girl’s eggs this year either. It’s as if she has just given up altogether.

I am pleased to have another girl laying and we have four eggs again today, that is, Barley, Peaches, Honey and Emerald. Well done girls!