Butterscotch lays her first egg with us

The new girls were hatched at the end of last summer so they are just under a year old. They have now been with us for a week. They haven’t been laying but I thought this may because they are about to start to moult as well as the stress of moving to a new flock. I have picked up feathers from the run from both of them but more from Speckles than Butterscotch.

This afternoon their was a lot of commotion from the girls. Butterscotch was doing a lot of shouting and at times some of the other girls joined in including Speckles. I went up to them several times to see what was going on. Butterscotch was being very vocal and looking in the little coop then looking in the shed.

I realised that she wanted to lay an egg but didn’t know where as our nest boxes are not familiar to her. She went in the shed but Peaches chased her out again. She then went in the coop but our girls are very nosey about any girl trying to lay her egg. Peaches and Barley went to watch her and Butterscotch came back out shouting loudly.

Butterscotch returned to the coop and settled in there and I thought she was now about to lay but then Topaz went to investigate. Butterscotch is obviously not used to being watched and she came out again and once more sounded very angry.

Next time I checked she had gone back in and all the rest of the girls were out in the run. I hoped she would now have some peace.

A little later I heard Butterscotch shouting from inside the little coop. I lifted the lid and there was her cream coloured, round egg. I told her what a clever girl she was but she just went out into the run shouting for a bit. This is the most noisy she has been since she has been with us.

Peaches and Barley’s white eggs are on the left, next is Honey’s cream oval egg and on the right is Butterscotch’s cream, round egg

The difference in colour doesn’t show up in a photograph but Peaches and Barley’s are really white, Honey’s are beige and oval and Butterscotch’s is creamy and round.

I think now that she knows where to go there should be less fuss next time. It is good to have another girl laying as I thought we might have to wait until the spring. Well done Butterscotch!