Yesterday at about mid day I heard what I think of as the egg shout. I was surprised because only Butterscotch is laying and she had laid late in the afternoon yesterday so this would be too early for her.
On inspection it was Topaz making all the noise. She was being very vocal and was looking in the little coop nest boxes. Her comb and wattles are also a lovely red colour. I wonder if she is about to start laying again. It seemed a bit early but I looked back at last year’s egg record and she started laying on the eighteenth of January so it’s only a month earlier.
Topaz has a lovely red comb and wattles
Topaz is being very vocal and is looking in peak condition
I love the way the other girls in the background are all looking at her as if wondering what all the noise is about.
She is walking around the little coop nest boxes and shouting
She is having a good old shout in between pecking at the shavings
Topaz is my anomaly. She laid six eggs in her first year and eight eggs in her second year. The rest of the time she plays at being broody but doesn’t commit to it. She likes to sit on other girls eggs and stops laying herself.
In her first summer she started laying in June. She laid one egg on the twenty third of June and another on the twenty seventh of June. She laid one egg on the second of July. She then laid another egg on the ninth of August and then again on the eleventh of August. She laid her final, sixth egg, on the eleventh of September. Soon after that she started her moult.
This year she was the first to start laying again. Hurrah! I thought. She laid her first egg on the eighteenth of January then another on the twentieth and then on the twenty seventh of January. She laid again on the fifth, twelfth, fifteenth and twenty third of February. She then laid her final, eighth egg, on the third of March.
That was it for Topaz. She didn’t lay again all summer and once again started to moult at the beginning of September.
I was so surprised when she didn’t lay any more last year but this year I won’t be surprised. In fact I would actually be surprised if she did lay more than one clutch. With all my research I have never come across another hen like Topaz. She is unique. Some people complain that their broody girls don’t lay much but Topaz is exceptional. Not laying much doesn’t quite go far enough. But there you have it, she is my unique girl and we will just have to wait and see if she remains the same this time round. I suspect she will!
Click here to see the history of my flock.
I admit she is looking stunning !
She does. She is still marching around being very vocal and having a quick spin round in the nest box so I really think she is working up to laying again.
She looks in absolutely peak condition – a business-like egg layer; we all know appearanes can be deceptive, and her season may be of the shortest of durations, but she certainly looks ready to start again. Mine are earlier in coming back into lay this year – usually, it’s January for the first ones. At long last, and after 2 years, Dart is finally moulting and looks a real mess – I’ll get a photo and email it to you.
I can only agree with all that you say about Topaz. I do think everything is a little earlier this year, not sure if it’s weather or temperature but they did seem to moult earlier and come through that earlier.
Dart, what can we say. A bit like Jackie’s Blossom, was my Bluebell, never really took a break, moulted or stopped laying until now, her fourth year when she really went for it.
I look forward to photos of Dart, poor girl. How different the moult is for each girl! It is such an individual process. They do all look beautiful once through it though which is what we have to look forward to. It is so interesting to compare notes.