Amber’s third egg is soft shelled

Last night before bedtime Amber seemed very subdued and I felt a bit worried about her. I checked on her several times and about half an hour before dusk she went into the coop. I decided to shut the door and give her some peace. Honey settled on the coop roof shortly after so I decided to lift her down and put her in the coop too for some company.

Once the big girls settled on the coop roof, I  lifted them down and put them in too. I thought it wouldn’t hurt for them all to go to bed a little earlier than usual. I again peeped in and the little girls were in the nest box instead of on the perch with the big girls. I can’t blame them and am happy for them to sleep there if they want to.

I went out at six o’clock this morning and while doing my morning chores, I discovered a soft shelled egg in the coop just beneath the nest box. It broke as soon as I picked it up and was mostly yolk. By piecing the halves together, I found it was banty sized so must be Amber’s. Honey had laid yesterday and all the girls went on to lay today, except Honey, who only lays every other day at the moment. Amber has laid two very tiny eggs and now this one. Maybe that is why she is subdued.

As the morning went on Bluebell was bullying the little girls to the point where they were just hiding behind the bush. After Bluebell had laid her egg I decided to separate her, in what used to be the bantys area to give the little girls a break from her. She seemed quite happy to be there and made no fuss about it and I left her with food and water of course, plus some greens. I left her there for three hours and when the other two big girls were dust bathing in the afternoon, I relented and let her back out.

Both the little girls seem a bit subdued and are spending a lot of time behind the bush. I am not sure if they are just fed up with being harassed or if something is wrong. I am feeling a bit worried about them but don’t know what else to do at the moment.

like last night, when I went up to check on them just before dusk, the two little girls went into the coop so I shut them in. I returned at dusk and added the big girls, peeped in and like last night the little girls were in the nest box and the big girls on the perch. At least they are all safely in and I suppose it is a case of seeing what tomorrow brings!