Speckles has had a spin round in the nest box a few times lately and I have also seen her taking the grit. She is still doing sloppy poops but her comb is lovely and red.
Yesterday I missed Speckles in the nest box but she was on the patio with pine shavings on her back. I just happened to have gone in with my camera so took a photo. However because of her white speckles the shavings don’t show up much but trust me they are there.
Despite the sloppy poops Speckles isn’t drinking the large amount of water that she was last year. Last year she laid one egg in March and five in June so it will be interesting to see what happens this year. I don’t expect her to lay many but she is definitely looking like she is ready to lay soon.
I really see her age in her eyes though and she always takes her time jumping down from the patio to the run. I try to keep moving earth back, with a spade, to this area to lessen the drop but it soon gets scratched away again. The girls can use the block as a stepping stone but they don’t always take advantage of this.
Flame on the other hand has been laying every other day since she started back at the beginning of the month but yesterday she laid for the second day in a row for the first time this year.
Flame likes to lay in the nest box that broody Smoke is in and I need to remove her egg as soon as possible before Smoke sits on it.
Ebony hasn’t laid since the first of February which I find rather strange and yet she has a lovely red comb so I don’t know why this should be.
Marmite hasn’t laid since her first egg although she did sit in the nest box for a while yesterday before giving up so I am sure she will resume soon.
Salmon and Spangle are showing no sign of wanting to lay but again both have lovely red combs so I am not worried. All the girls look healthy and happy so I am not worried about the lack of egg laying.
I don’t imagine there will be any surplus eggs to give away this summer though. We will be doing well if we get enough eggs for ourselves without buying any.
But as long as the girls are happy and healthy that is all that matters to me.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
The colours of Smoke and Flame together are lovely
I hadn’t thought of that but they are a good contrast in colours.
They look really cute cuddled up together xx
They do. Flame really seems to like to lay her eggs with a little girl for company and Smoke of course is happy at the chance to sit on an egg for a little while xx
I am also having this start-stop business with some of mine, despite red combs and having laid already, several seem to have just stopped in their tracks. That said, I do have an ageing flock! Always nice to see two birds sharing a nest box.
It actually makes me feel much better to hear that you have the same. They look great and I don’t see why they do this start and stop but it’s helps to know I am not alone and I am sure they are fine which is all that matters really.
Lovley picture of Flame and Smoke, in the nest box.
They do look cute together.