Dotty’s first egg

The morning after losing our lovely Treacle, Dotty surprised us with her first egg. I had began to think this day would never come. My “time warp” baby has finally grown up at nine months old. Her egg is paler and longer and more pointed than Pepper’s and a good size for a first egg,

Dotty’s first egg

There is  a little smear of blood on the tip.

Dotty’s egg is on the right, Pepper’s is in the middle and Bluebell’s on the left

Dotty’s first egg is s good size

I think Dotty ate my earring yesterday. She loves to jump on my shoulder and I know that chickens are attracted to shiny things. She has often taken a peck at my earring but I usually just try to hide it under my hair. Yesterday she took a peck and I put my hand up and found the earring back, but the gold stud had gone. I searched for it and couldn’t find it so think she must have swallowed it. The worrying thing is that the stem of the earring is quite sharp. My husband said not to worry too much as they swallow sharp bits of grit. She seems absolutely fine. I have read on another blog of someone else having this happen.

Pepper has also taken to jumping on my back whenever she can. She always looked like she wanted to jump on me but couldn’t find the courage and she can’t jump from the ground to my shoulder like Dotty as she is a plumper chook but if I sit on my little chair she will now jump on my lap and if I go to the nest box or the store cabinet she is straight on my back. I am not sure why they like to do this but I don’t mind as I like the interaction. I do have to make sure I am not wearing anything good to visit them though or I end up with a muddy back. I have an old fleece which I wear for the chickens and sometimes have them two at a time on my back. They are funny girls. I am looking forward to the summer when I can sit with them on my lap in the evenings again.