Dot has laid her first egg with us

Yesterday was our first, five egg day, of the year. It was also Dot’s first whole day with us and she laid her first egg with us.

Sugar is now broody again after laying eight eggs in eleven days, her last one being laid yesterday. This is the exact same number that she laid last time she went broody. This many eggs must represent a clutch for Sugar and therefore time to sit again.

Dot has fitted into the flock beautifully. She had soon explored the run and she has been dust bathing with the flock and finding her way in at bedtime where she perches in the middle of the flock with no fuss at all.

Dot wanted to lay her egg right at the busy time when all the nest boxes were occupied. Sugar was laying her last egg in one nest box and has remained in the nest box ever since, apart from when I lift her out, for breaks. Gold was trying to lay her egg in the next nest box. Snowflake was trying to lay her egg in the third nest box and Storm nipped in and laid her egg next to Sugar. Storm has no objection to sharing a nest box with any of the girls.

Dot tried sharing with Sugar and then with Snowflake but was clearly not happy about sharing. I willed Gold and Snowflake to get their eggs laid so that Dot could have a nest box as she was running back and forth and beginning to look stressed.

At last both girls got their eggs laid and Dot was able to settle in a vacant nest box. She must have been desperate because she very quickly laid her egg. It is surprising large considering how small Dot is.

From the left is Dot’s large white egg followed by Gold’s egg. In the middle is Storm’s tiny egg followed by Sugar’s egg and then Snowflake’s egg on the right.

Having Dot lay an egg is a relief to me because that means she is healthy. Dot is such a lovely addition to the flock and I am super happy with her.