Dandelion’s first egg of the year

This post has evolved over the last few days. I knew that Dandelion was getting ready to start laying again. She had been very vocal and had been looking in the nest boxes.  Dandelion and Cinnamon have become more and more inseparable.

A couple of days ago Dandelion marched purposefully towards the nest box with Cinnamon in tow. It looked as if they were joined by an invisible string. Dandelion marched into the first nest box and Cinnamon marched in behind her. It was so funny to see. Minutes later they both bounced out again.

Yesterday Dandelion settled in the first nest box and I knew she was going to lay her first egg of the year. It wasn’t long before Cinnamon was in with her keeping an eye on her.

Dandelion in the nest box

Cinnamon checks on Dandelion

Dandelion soon laid her first little egg of the year. When Dandelion left the nest box Cinnamon moved on to the nest box Ebony was in.

Cinnamon moves into Ebony’s nest box

Ebony laid her egg and when I next checked on Cinnamon she was struggling. I could hear her crying in the nest box. She was straining and every time she pushed she whimpered. It was awful to see and hear. Her vent was pulsing and red and I worried that she may prolapse. I wondered if her first egg was too big.

Cinnamon is struggling in the nest box

I had an appointment that I needed to go to but decided that when I got back if she was still the same I would try giving her a warm bath. I have never seen her like this before.

To my amazement when I got back Cinnamon was out in the run and back to normal and no egg in the box. I wonder if she watched Dandelion lay her egg and thought that she should lay one too. Maybe she was straining when there was no egg. Cinnamon has made no attempt to lay an egg today.

Today Dandelion settled in the nest box again. I knew it was highly unlikely that she needed to lay again as she rarely lays two days in a row. I think her egg was so small that she wasn’t sure that she had laid it. We have seen this with Dandelion before.

At this point each nest box had a girl in it. Smoke was in the middle box and Vanilla in the third box. Marmite being bottom girl and not very brave was sitting by the ramp of the nest box Dandelion was in. I put Marmite just inside the nest box and when I next checked she was settled next to Dandelion.

Dandelion shares the nest box with Marmite

Once Marmite had laid her egg I lifted Dandelion out of the nest box and she went happily on her way. Smoke, meanwhile, has gone broody again. She still laid her egg but was all puffed up in the familiar broody pose.

Dandelion’s first egg of the year

For size comparison Flame’s egg is on the left followed by Smoke’s egg. Next is Vanilla’s egg, her eggs are now as big as Smokes. Next is Marmite’s egg and on the right is Dandelion’s egg.

The whole thing with Cinnamon was really weird but she seems back to her usual self now. Last year Cinnamon started laying a month before Dandelion so she is late this year. I just hope she starts laying okay without any further drama.