Dandelion’s egg laying

Yesterday Dandelion laid her sixth egg. I spotted it out in the furthest part of the run when I went in to the chickens first thing in the morning. She has yet to lay one in a nest box.

She just doesn’t seem to know that she has laid because shortly after this she went into the chicken shed. She stood there shouting.

Dandelion shouting in the chicken shed

Dandelion has a really loud, high pitched, shout. I could hear her while she was inside the shed and I was indoors. I don’t know why she was shouting and not going in the cat box. I had changed the pine shavings in the cat box that morning and wondered if the fresh shavings were putting her off.

Eventually she did settle in the cat box and all was quiet.

Dandelion settles in the cat box

But not for long. Emerald decided she was ready to lay her egg and chased Dandelion out of the cat box.

Emerald settles in the cat box

Since I have put the cat box in here both Emerald and Speckles have laid every egg here. Dandelion started shouting again and even giving her some corn to distract her only stopped her shouting while she ate the corn. If only I could explain to her that she had already laid her egg and there was no need for any of this.

Then it went quiet and I went to see what was going on.

Dandelion settles in the right hand nest box

Phew, Dandelion had decided to settle in the nest box instead. This is actually good news because it means that when the cat box is occupied she will now perhaps settle for a nest box.

Next time I checked Emerald’s egg was in the cat box and Dandelion was back in the run and quiet again. She must have decided her job was done.

Cinnamon on the other hand prefers the nest boxes but Peaches and Barley do everything they can to keep her out of the nest boxes which is maddening. The day before they were chasing her from the nest boxes and we had to go out so had to leave her to it.

When we returned Cinnamon’s, longer shaped egg, was in the cat box. She must have given up on the nest boxes. This is also good news because it means that when she is being chased from the nest box she will probably go to the cat box.

Egg laying seems to cause such drama at the moment. We are eating lots of lovely eggs though.