For the last couple of days Butterscotch has been coming out of the nest box on her own in between me lifting her out. I could tell that she was coming out of her broody spell.
The odd thing is that she always lays for three weeks, then takes a two week break, then starts laying again. Two days ago it was exactly two weeks since she started going broody and she surprised me by laying an egg.
I knew it was her egg as only she and Honey had been in the nest box and Honey had laid her small, slightly beige, matt, egg and this one was small, slightly pinkish and with a satin sheen. Butterscotch is the only girl that lays an egg with a satin sheen.
I was really surprised because I thought they didn’t lay until a couple of weeks after coming out of being broody.
Yesterday I only got her out for the morning sunflower seeds then again a couple of hours later when I took the girls some spinach. I thought getting her out for an extra time might speed her back to normal and it seemed to work as she stayed out for the rest of the day.
Last night I didn’t bother to close the nest boxes and she went to roost in the chicken shed with the rest of the girls of her own volition.
This morning she was out in the run with the flock and has stayed out all day. Hurrah! Her broody spell has passed. It will be interesting to see when she lays her next egg. I wonder if that egg was a one off or if she will start laying again soon.
Butterscotch joins in with the morning seeds
I didn’t have to get her out of the nest box this morning
She stayed out after the seeds had gone
Toffee is just heading off to the nest box. She spent some time in there scratching around. When I next went to check on her she was just coming out of the nest box with pine shavings on her back and a warm egg beneath her. This is Toffee’s first egg of the year and is two weeks earlier than last year.
Toffee leaving the nest box after laying her egg
At this point I had just taken in a dish of peas as a treat for the girls. It was quite funny to see Toffee tucking in to the peas with the shavings still on her back.
A dish of peas
I love that toffee still has shavings on her back
The girls loved the peas
The peas were all gone ten minutes later. I have tried to keep the girls occupied as much as possible. I dug the entire run over and we found some worms. I cleaned out the chicken shed and nest boxes and swept the patio area. I cleaned the food and water dishes. I spent time with the girls.
It seems at the moment that it is Honey more than Topaz that is pulling feathers. She is sneaking up behind all the girls and taking a feather when she can. I just don’t understand why she has suddenly started doing this. It always seems that just when things are going along smoothly something else crops up. I am so frustrated by this behaviour.
Click here to see the history of my flock.