I have had a feeling over the last few days that Speckles was getting ready to start laying again. She has been much more vocal recently.
This morning on several occasions I could hear her shouting and when I went up to check she was in the nest box scratching around.
Speckles is in the nest box
She is being watched by Barley
She came back out without actually sitting. A little later she was shouting again and this time was in the other nest box.
A little later Speckles is being watched by both Peaches and Barley
This egg laying business requires a bit of practice and is of great interest to her flock mates. A girl can’t do anything without an audience!
Emerald shows Speckles how it might be done
Peaches joins in
Speckles settles in despite her audience
Speckles is back in the other nest box and is being watched by Barley.
Speckles camouflages herself with pine shavings
She is getting serious about the job now. She has changed to the other nest box again and was very precisely picking up the shavings and placing them on her back.
This has been going on since eight o’clock this morning. At half past one there was a huge amount of shouting from Speckles. She was out of the nest box and shouting her head off. There in the nest box was her first egg this year. It is huge and long. No wonder it has taken so much time and effort to get this egg laid.
Speckles first egg of the year on the left
On the right is a medium, big girls, shop bought, egg. For a bantam egg, Speckles egg, is huge and is longer than the standard chicken’s egg.
Another view of Speckles egg
What a world of difference between Barley and Speckles. Barley’s first egg was laid with no fuss, quickly and quietly, and was tiny which is why I thought it might have been Freckles egg. Speckles egg was laid with loads of fuss over a five and a half hour period and is huge.
I love it when there is doubting the owner of the egg. Well done Speckles!
Click here to see the history of my flock.
That is a big egg,from a little girl.
It sure is. Made my eyes water. Funny how I said in the comments yesterday that I thought Speckles would be next. I could feel the change in her. It’s also funny how Barley’s first egg was tiny enough to make me think it could be Freckles and yet Speckles is large enough to pass for a big (standard size) girl’s egg. Speckles always did lay the biggest eggs of these girls but that one is exceptional.
Brilliant! You were spot-on in your estimation. Really astounding size, for a bird of Speckles’ size.
I just knew, now she is ready! It’s sometimes just an instinct on knowing our girls. Didn’t expect super large though.
My Amy laid her first egg for the year today too and it’s almost exactly that shape but a bit smaller! It takes her a day at least to work up to it too and then she only does five or six a year!
I have had the girl in the past that lays that few eggs … my Topaz. We can never know why some girls just don’t lay many! In fact Topaz laid less than that.
And just yesterday I said to Pete – look how red Amy’s comb is – I can’t believe she’s not laying!
It’s funny how you can just tell. I thought Speckles comb was getting there but wasn’t quite as red as I know it gets. Then I said it was just as red as it gets and I felt she was ready and I was right, she was. When we know our girls, we just know when they are ready. I love that, sometimes we just know.