Three months after Sparkle started laying (back in April) Topaz laid five eggs in two weeks. She then stopped laying for the next month and I had no idea why.
Topaz would go into the little coop nest box and come out shouting but never an egg. A few days ago she went into the nest box for longer than usual (a couple of hours) and came out shouting. I thought this time there might be an egg and checked, but there wasn’t.
Yesterday Topaz spent all morning in the nest box. Sparkle wanted to get in and lay her egg despite there being two other nest boxes but Topaz was in her favourite one. I began to wonder if I should lift her out as I thought maybe she was going broody.
I decided to give her a bit longer and while doing my lunch time clean up in the run Topaz came out shouting.
She shouted and shouted, long and loud. I checked the nest box and there was her egg. It is larger and rounder than Sparkle’s eggs. She was so proud and after five minutes of very loud shouting I distracted her with some sunflower hearts. Well done Topaz! I wonder if she is going to continue to lay or if this is a one off. Only time will tell.
Sparkle immediately went into the little coop nest box and very quickly laid her egg. She must have been hanging on.
The other change in the flock is that since Amber and Honey had their big falling out battle, Honey has moved up the pecking order. Their battle was a week ago and I wanted to wait to be sure before mentioning it but now when I put out treats or dig for worms Honey gives Amber the warning peck (the quick peck that doesn’t actually connect but just lets her know her place). Amber always did this to Honey before but now Honey does it to Amber. It seems that she has fought her way above Amber this time.
They stopped perching next to each other at night after that fall out but last night for the first time in a week they were perched next to each other. They had also been together again during the day. It seems that they are friends again.
All eight girls perch together
It’s cute how they are perched in their pairs except for Toffee and Emerald who are never together.
Each of the pairs spend a lot of time together except the game birds. They are more like two singles and have no attachment to each other at all and yet they were together in the barn at the farmers and together here before integrating. They did integrate quickly (in only a few days) perhaps because they wanted to join the flock rather than be together.
Toffee and Emerald always roost well away from each other.
Amber and Honey side by side
It is nice to see Amber and Honey together again. Amber is on the left and the dark spot on her comb is where her peck marks have healed.
Toffee, Peaches and Barley
Peaches and Barley always roost next to Toffee or Topaz as they are the only two that don’t chase them away but most of the time it is Toffee they sit next to.
I love the way Toffee looks at them and the way her feathers sit over the perch.
I hope Amber and Honey have finished with their spats for now. I looked back at last year and they did this in spring then again at this time of year and this year they have repeated the pattern which is interesting. For now though harmony has resumed.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
We were right then the pecking order was changing ! I think once it is settled most of the time they just give a sigh and get on with it.
We worry more than they do .
Yes, I think now it’s settled Amber is resigned to it. I know I have to let them sort it out but it’s so aggressive with them too.
The chicks are doing it too but its just raising up their ruffs and running at each other then away again. It’s over in seconds and I never manage to get a photo of it.
Delighted that Topaz has laid: hope she gets into her stride before the moult! Pleased that harmony has returned. Again, lovely photos and the youngsters are developing really well. In the large-fowl version, leghorns often lay at 18 weeks – wonder whether the bantams do. With luck, those two will lay throughout the winter.
Topaz has laid a couple of eggs now. It will be good to get the chicks laying as we are light on eggs at the moment. I have read that they are good layers and lay through the winter but I think five to six months is their expected start date (November maybe). We will see, it will be interesting to see how soon they start. 18 weeks is early! I am hopeful of some eggs through the winter though.