Boxing Day surprise

Smoke has now laid four eggs this December so far. On boxing Day Smoke settled in her favourite nest box next to the chicken shed.

Ebony started shouting and while having had this behaviour through the summer, when several girls wanted the same nest box at the same time, I couldn’t understand why she should be shouting now.

The next time I checked on them Ebony was in the nest box between Smoke’s nest box and the store cabinet. Ebony was putting pine shavings on her back. I realised that she had been shouting because she wanted the favourite nest box which Smoke was already in but I couldn’t understand why she wanted a nest box in December.

Meanwhile Smoke had laid her egg. Smoke and Speckles looked in the nest box that Ebony was in as if to say that they wondered what on earth she was doing in there.

Next time I checked back Ebony was back out in the run and when I checked the nest box she had laid an egg. I was amazed that Ebony has laid an egg in December which was totally unexpected.

Smoke’s egg is on the right, Ebony’s egg is in the middle and a medium shop bought egg is on the left for size comparison. Ebony’s egg is smaller than her usual eggs but first eggs after a break are often a bit smaller.

Ebony stopped laying at the end of October whereas last year she stopped laying at the end of November. Ebony started laying half way through January this year.

Flame in comparison stopped laying half way through September last year but this year continued laying three quarters of the way through November and started laying in February this year.

It is very odd getting an egg in December though. I wonder if it will be a one off or if Ebony will lay some more. Only time will tell and I will report back here.