Sharing a nest box again

Yesterday Ebony and Smoke were sharing a nest box again. Once more they both laid their eggs together. Flame had also laid in the same nest box a little earlier. These three have their timings in tune at the moment.

Ebony and Smoke share a nest box

A little later both their eggs were in the same nest box

This was our second, six egg, day. Flame, Ebony, Smoke, Jasmine, Spangle and Marmite all laid.

Speckles hasn’t laid again since her first, blood streaked, egg nine days ago. Coinciding with laying her first egg she has been drinking lots of water and doing sloppy poops again. I think that she must have an internal problem but she looks absolutely fine in herself.

Speckles is about six years old. This happened last year when she started laying but completely stopped over winter. I thought it was a one off problem but she is just the same again as last summer and it has started with her starting to lay again the same as last year. I think the problem must have to do with her starting to lay and may be a kidney problem.

She is eating well and behaving the same as ever so I am not too worried. I think it may be a sign of her ageing. She laid twelve eggs last year and I am sort of expecting about six eggs this year if she follows her previous pattern. Her comb isn’t as huge as it used to be. She seems happy and is doing all the usual chicken things so I am not going to worry.

Only Sienna has yet to lay her first egg and I think that may be soon as she has been a bit more vocal than usual. Jasmine and Sienna are the same age and Jasmine started laying six weeks ago so Sienna is quite a late starter.

I think Dandelion and Cinnamon are about to start laying soon as well as they have also been very vocal recently. Last year Cinnamon started at the beginning of March and Dandelion in April.

Jasmine’s egg laying has improved and she looks fine when she is about to lay now. Salmon’s last two eggs have been soft shelled, both laid in the chicken shed in the early morning and about a week apart.

We have an abundance of eggs but the important thing for me is to have the girls healthy and happy. I hope that like Dandelion, before her, Salmon will improve in time.