Gold has a habit of trying to join me as soon as I open the chicken gate. I pick her up and put her back inside the gate. For the last week she has been squatting every time I do this. I wondered if she was getting ready to lay but thought it was a bit early in the year.
Gold has a lovely red comb and has become a bit more vocal too. This morning Gold went into each nest box in turn and scratched out some shavings. I have recently cleaned out the nest boxes and put in fresh shavings ready for spring egg laying to begin so I thought that may be attracting Gold to them.
This afternoon Gold was missing so I checked the nest boxes and sure enough she was settled in the nest box by the gate. I came back in for my camera but by the time I got back out to the chicken run she was already laying her egg.
It is amazing how often I catch the girls actually laying. Her egg is long and slim. The girls usually start laying mid February to March so I wasn’t expecting eggs just yet. Gold is a first year girl so that may be why the early start. She stopped laying at the end of August when she had a partial moult.
Snowflake has also become more vocal and has a red comb but she continued to lay until the end of November when she had a partial moult. It will be interesting to see if Snowflake starts laying soon too.
Storm only has a three month laying season which is May, June and July so I don’t expect her to start any time soon. Diamond is still dropping feathers every day so I am not expecting her to start yet either. It’s a good job she is a very fluffy girl.
Sugar usually starts laying half way through March. Salmon didn’t lay at all last year so I think she may be finished and Spangle only laid four eggs so she too might be finished. We only got Dot in May so I don’t know how early in the year she will start.
It is interesting to see when the girls start laying again and it was quite a surprise to see Gold lay today. Well done Gold!
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Well done Gold! As you know my new seramas and my barbu de Grubbe have been laying all winter but I assume it’s because they were last year’s babies. What I was surprised about though was Jasmine (who is now 7) starting laying again last week and has laid again today! It’s so nice to have eggs!
xx
Often first year girls do lay through the winter but I think because these girls moulted a bit more than first year girls usually do that must have stopped them. Perhaps it also depends on when they are hatched and when they mature. I am impressed with Jasmine. It will be great to have eggs again.
I am pleased to see you here as you didn’t comment on my last post which is so unusual for you. You may not have noticed it, it was two weeks ago. I was going to e-mail you if I didn’t hear from you this time. It’s great that you are getting eggs. xx
My two second year girls (Bea the Barnevelder bantam and Monique the Marans bantam) have been laying for a couple of weeks now, but I don’t think anyone else is quite there yet.
Wow, that’s amazing. I am surprised after frost, wet, then frost again that our girls are doing so well. I suppose the light levels increasing helps but still, it’s great that egg laying is starting so early.
Great news, Carol and a brilliant capture with your camera. Mine have been start – stop this year – odd eggs from about half a dozen, but nobody laying consistently.
I seem to be quite lucky at capturing them laying with my camera. It will be interesting to see when she lays again. I am sure your girls will soon get into the swing of it.
Good news, well done Gold.
I felt ridiculously proud of her. I was surprised so early in the year.