Emerald’s egg

Emerald is laying really well at the moment. She generally lays every other day and lays four or five eggs a week.

Emerald has a few unique traits and one of them is that she often gets a bit manic before she lays. I have never seen any other chicken do this but she sometimes runs back and forth as if she is demented. She will run to the nest box coops then run out into the garden part of the run and then back again. At first I used to think that there was something wrong with her. She looks like animals do when they are pacing because they are caged up except she does it a manic speed.

She then goes and settles in the nest box and quickly lays her egg. I have wondered if she does this because I am a distraction and she is torn between wanting to go into the nest box and staying out in case she misses something so I now leave if she is behaving like this.

Emerald also spends a lot of time picking over the grit and oyster shell. Yesterday she laid an egg with lots of little calcium bumps on the shell. I think she has been taking a bit too much calcium.

Emerald’s egg

Most of her eggs are normal so I am not worried about this and it means her eggs have good hard shells.

Today was a five egg day. I wonder if we will ever get that elusive six egg day. All the girls laid except Toffee as she hasn’t laid for a couple of weeks due to her moulting. As Butterscotch lays half the time and is broody half the time it is probably unlikely to have all six girls laying at once. I am amazed that we have had, five, five egg days this year so far.

A five egg day

From the left the first egg is Emerald’s and the second egg is Speckles large egg, next is Butterscotch’s egg then Barley’s then Peaches on the right. Well done girls!