Snowflake lays two days running then miss a day then two days running. She has followed this pattern since she started laying.
Gold will lay for anything up to six days running before missing a day and then laying again.
A couple of days ago Snowflake returned to the nest box soon after laying. I had wondered if she was going broody because she sometimes had the stance of a broody girl.
I closed the nest boxes at bedtime and Snowflake perched in the chicken shed but the next day she returned to the nest box. For the first time Snowflake allowed me to touch her.
I was sure that Snowflake was broody. She would never usually let me touch her like this. I lifted her out of the nest box.
Some of her behaviour was like a broody but some wasn’t. When Sugar is broody and I lift her out she is full of anger. She will chase the other girls and scratch at speed then return to the nest box.
Snowflake was completely docile and bothered no one. She took her time having a scratch and some water and some food. She was in no hurry to get back to the nest box but did eventually return.
I had mixed feelings about this. Snowflake wasn’t supposed to be a broody breed. If she was broody we would be down to only one regular egg layer for now.
On the other hand compared to past broodies Snowflake was totally docile and even allowed me to handle her for the first time since we got her.
Again I closed the nest boxes at the end of the day and Snowflake went into the chicken shed but this time she was sitting in a corner. I put her on the perch and she remained perching.
This morning Snowflake was out in the run when I first went out. I opened the door of the chicken shed to clean up and there was Snowflake’s egg in the corner of the shed.
Snowflake had missed two days laying instead of one. Snowflake is back to normal and has been out in the run all day. Not broody after all which I am pleased about.
So what was this! It seems that she thought she should be laying her egg. She has never missed two days before. I have never seen this behaviour before. Very odd!
It is good to have all the girls out in the run together and whatever this was with Snowflake it seems to have passed.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Phew!
Indeed! It was so weird. Two days of returning to the nest box and then an early morning egg and yesterday no interest in the nest box at all, it was over just like that. They do like to keep me on my toes.
Snowflake is quite a good layer then too! So glad she’s decided she’s not broody xx
Snowflake is a good layer but Gold is even better laying up to six eggs before taking one day off. They are both better layers than any of the other girls though with Flame being the next best at every other day when she is laying. I am glad that she isn’t broody after all. xx
Well that is good news, it is nice she now is happy for you to handle her now.
It is good news and her allowing me to handle her was an expected bonus.