When I added some new girls to the flock I hadn’t expected to get an influx of eggs, nor a nest box problem, which I think we have now solved.
After eating our own eggs for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday we still have a full egg roller for the first time in ages.
A full egg roller
I love all the different sizes. The tiny one in the middle is Dandelion’s egg. We are now picking out two medium sized eggs each as in Cinnamon’s eggs or one large and one small one each as in a game girls’ and Dandelion’s egg.
I put the bigger eggs in a pan and when they are almost ready I add the tiny eggs. Perfect eggs of assorted sizes!
For the last couple of days Speckles has been have a twirl round the nest box. I thought it was just curiosity because of the extra shavings that I have added.
This morning when I went out to the girls she was missing. I checked the run, the nest box on the patio area and the chicken shed. There was only one other place she could be. Sure enough she was in the new higher nest box.
It’s Speckles turn in the high nest box
Look at her red comb and wattles. It looks as if she is coming back into lay after a two month break. Her comb had shrunk and gone pale and she was moulting. She has now finished her moult and I wonder if she is about to start laying again. This has never happened before.
She came out a little later without laying an egg but Speckles often needs to practise first and then lays the next day. It will be interesting to see if she lays tomorrow.
Speckles seems to have grown in confidence with the realisation that she is now, for the first time ever, top girl. She is another girl, like Emerald before her, that has risen from the bottom to the top.
When Ebony came in Speckles took no notice of her. When Flame came in Speckles took no notice of her either but Ebony soon showed Flame that she was below her in the pecking order. Over the last couple of days Speckles has been chasing Flame around the run a bit.
It is as if she has suddenly realised her new status and is showing that she is now top girl. It is interesting to watch the dynamics of the flock altering. It is also unexpected to have an abundance of lovely eggs.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
I do hope that Speckles adds a few more to her total for the year! Before much longer we’ll be picking up loads of feathers, so all eggs are a huge bonus. I have one moulting, as well as some white silkie feathers, which seem to be almost constant, when someone has been broody.
Speckles laid today. That will be tomorrow’s post. She has finished her moult but has never laid after her moult before. I am wondering if it’s because she laid so few eggs this year that she has come back into lay. She has even drops to a squat if I come up behind her. The chicks are shedding, fine, tiny, feathers.
All those lovely eggs, and the girls look good, look in great condition.
I can’t believe all the eggs and the girls have now settled and all looking good. Teething problems seem to be sorted, thank goodness. It’s definitely all calmed down in the chicken run and all the groups, chicks, little girls and bigger girls are getting along as one flock now.
Such pretty eggs. Oh, you must be so happy.
It is lovely to have an abundance of eggs again. No need to buy any and even gave some away.