Our second, five egg day, of the year and nest box shenanigans

I wasn’t expecting another, five egg day, so soon. It was a week ago that we had our first, five egg, day and a few days later Marmite went broody but a few days after that Flame started laying.

Yesterday we had our second, five egg day, and today it’s looking like Smoke is going broody again. It seems that just as one girl starts laying another girl stops and visa versa. Smoke has only been laying again for two weeks and has laid nine eggs in that time.

Marmite was only broody for about three days in the end. She was settling in the nest box at bedtime so after two nights of this I closed the nest boxes before bedtime. She spent some time looking for a way in to the nest boxes but eventually settled on her bedtime perch in the chicken shed.

The next night I closed the nest boxes before bedtime and she didn’t even look at them and settled on her bedtime perch. In the morning she came out and stayed out and that was the end of that.

Our second, five egg day, of the year

On the left is Jasmine’s egg, then Spangle’s egg, then Smoke’s egg then Flame’s enormous egg and then on the right is Ebony’s egg.

Yesterday’s eggs on the stand

Smoke looks broody again

Meanwhile Salmon was being very vocal and looking in the nest boxes. Flame was also wanting to lay and giving her mournful cry.

Salmon kept going in the same nest box as Smoke. She briefly tried the next nest box along but kept returning to the one Smoke was in.

Flame in the meantime was going between the chicken shed and the nest boxes and eventually she piled in with Smoke and Salmon. It’s the same old story. No matter how many nest boxes there are they all want the same one. At one point Spangle also had her head in the same nest box that Smoke, Salmon and Flame were in but I didn’t manage to get a photo of that.

Salmon wants the same nest box as Smoke

Salmon tries out the next nest box along

Salmon decides she prefers the same nest box as Smoke

Flame would also like the same nest box

When I next went to check on them it was all change. Flame and Smoke were now in the middle nest box and Salmon was in the nest box next to the storage cabinet.

Flame and Smoke have moved to the middle nest box

Salmon has now moved to the nest box next to the storage cabinet

I checked back a few minutes later and Flame was now out. I lifted Smoke and Flame’s egg was underneath her. I lifted Smoke out of the nest box to take a break. Salmon was now settled in the next nest box.

I went back to see how she was getting along and Smoke had now found Salmon and was settled next to her. Smoke was obviously following the girls waiting for their eggs.

Smoke has now joined Salmon

Soon after there was a bit of shouting from Salmon and she was now out of the nest box. I checked and it was a false alarm again and no egg. She seems to need an awful lot of practice!

Smoke meanwhile had settled back in the middle nest box. After checking that there was no egg under her I decided to leave her to it.

Spangle went on to lay her egg in the nest box closest to the chicken shed which is her favourite nest box and when I went back in to give them the bedtime corn I lifted Smoke out again.

I then closed the nest boxes. I have decided to continue closing the nest boxes at the end of the day when we have a broody. This way they won’t settle in the nest box at bedtime and it may also help to dissuade them quicker.

When I checked on them at dusk Smoke was settled in the corner by the pop hole and under the amigos bedtime perch. I lifted her and put her on the perch and there was her egg. After an entire day in the nest boxes she had laid at the end of the day. Last time she was broody she laid a few more eggs so I might have known really.

Never a dull moment in the chicken run!