We think Topaz laid her first egg today

Yesterday the little girls found the new perches. Topaz always jumps down when I get close so I only managed to get her just about to dismount.

Sparkle, Topaz and Amber perch together

Sparkle and Amber

All the bantys are perching together

Once again I knew Topaz would jump down when I got close so I took this one from out side first.

Amber, Honey and Sparkle in the sun

Today I followed my plan to put the big girls on the other side for the day.

One of the things I have noticed is that the girls don’t like being separated. Both sets of girls look like they really want to get on the other side despite which side they are on. Amber is less bothered probably due to being most plucked and also because she seems to have formed a friendship with Topaz. They are often sat together.

Honey is the most bothered by the separation. Sparkle pecks Honey if she gets near her, they don’t seem to like being around each other.

Honey paces back and forth along the boundary in the mornings and it’s the same which ever side she is on. She seems to want to be with the big girls despite the fact that they pluck feathers. She seems to miss them.

Ideally I want the flock together but I must give it my best shot at breaking the feather plucking habit.

when I returned from my deliveries at lunch time my husband said he thought Topaz had just laid her first egg. I can’t believe I missed it. He said she had been missing when he went to check on the girls and then he heard shouting. When he went to investigate Topaz was shouting and there was a white banty egg in the nest box. The other little girls’ eggs are more creamy in colour. So we think it must be Topaz but I was disappointed that I wasn’t there to see her go in the nest box. I will be watching for the next one.

We put the girls together before bedtime as usual and they all seemed so happy to be back together. Topaz usually puts herself to bed long before the other girls but didn’t go quite so early today. We wondered if it was because she is a big girl now that she has laid her first egg. She did go to bed first but not quite so early. It’s ironic that this was the only egg we had today.

I will keep to the same sides for the girls tomorrow and I will be keeping an eye on Topaz. Sparkle was probably laying already when we got the new girls but it’s now six weeks later for Topaz. We were beginning to wonder if she was ever going to get started. Well done Topaz!