I had almost forgotten how different an egg laying flock is to a winter flock. Throughout winter the flock is quiet and harmonious. As soon as egg laying resumes the noise level goes up.
There is the shouting because two or more girls want to lay in the same spot, there is sometimes shouting from one girl letting everyone know another girl is laying but most of all there is shouting if one girl is in the egg laying spot coveted by another girl.
The first eggs this year were laid in the nest box nearest to the chicken shed. The girls didn’t need to lay at the same time so all was calm. Then there was a sudden switch to the favourite corner of the chicken shed for Freckles and Cinnamon. There are of course four corners in the chicken shed but only one corner ever gets used for egg laying. Why this corner is the favourite I have no idea!
This morning Freckles was shouting. I knew she was ready to lay as she had laid two days ago and she was very vocal first thing. I went up to see what the fuss was about. Oh dear! Cinnamon was in her favourite spot. Cinnamon had laid her egg there yesterday so I was surprised that she would be laying again although just occasionally she does lay two days running.
Cinnamon in the favourite corner of the chicken shed
Freckles also wants this corner
Freckles usurps Cinnamon and settles in herself
I lifted Cinnamon to see if there was an egg, just in case she was sitting on Freckles egg, but there wasn’t. Once Freckles was settled and Cinnamon was back out I lifted Freckles to see if Cinnamon had laid but there was no egg. Cinnamon must have had a false alarm.
A little later Freckles was back out in the run and when I checked there was Freckles, round shaped, egg in the corner. All was quiet once more until the next time!
Click here to see the history of my flock.
You are absolutely right about the transformation in noise terms – very loud here yesterday, to lead to 4 eggs (you’d have thought there’d be 40, by the sheer volume of commotion!) Butterscotch remains broody, taking up prime laying space; I remove her frequently, but then the girls protesting do not take over possession of that very wide nest, meaning that she’s back in situ within a couple of minutes! I have to say that both Cinnamon and Freckles look superbly comfortable in the corner of the shed – you can sort of understand the appeal.
Yes, I had forgotten how noisy they become when egg laying is taking place. The shavings are quite deep in the chicken shed and Freckles had made quite a deep nest, she did look rather comfortable.
Yep, lots of squawking going on at my house too. And bitting. I have one hen who’s become very aggressive and bites. She got me good this morning. I’m really hoping things settle in as we progress into spring. REALLY hoping.
Coming into lay seems to completely change some girls personality. Speckles has gone from a gentle mother hen to quite aggressive with the little girls. She now chases them from the treats and pecks them and takes the spinach from my hand in a manner that makes me fear for my fingers. I know what you mean about hoping that it will soon settle down again.
Yep. Same here too.
Obviously I love having their eggs but I have to admit it is nice in winter not having to worry about hw much the noise upsets my OH and the neighbours!
It’s funny isn’t it. In winter I miss the eggs but the quiet and harmony is so nice and you get used to it then eggs start to come again and it’s so lovely to have your own eggs but then you remember all the noise and the clashes and some aggression and it takes a while to get used to the change. Chooks are such quiet creatures in winter but once egg laying begins they are so changed. The drama begins again!
Hormones have a lot to answer for!
You are so right. My flock are a changed flock since the hormones kicked in.
Funny how they all want the same spot.
It’s like that every year. One theory is that they think if one girl has chosen a certain spot then that must be the best (in the wild safest) spot and therefore they all want that spot. I don’t know if that’s true but it’s one explanation.