Cloud lays her first egg of the year

I had been thinking that both Cloud and Mango were getting near to starting to lay. They have both looked in the nest boxes a few times and both have very red combs and faces.

Yesterday Cloud went in a nest box and scratched around a few times. I felt sure she was getting ready to lay. The next time I checked she was settled in the nest box and when I checked again she was out and her first egg of the year was in the nest box. It had a streak of blood on it as first eggs often do.

I had already put out my blog post about Storm going broody so decided to leave this one until today. It was our first, four egg day, of the year as Storm got her last egg laid before decided to sit in the nest box for the rest of the day.

Mango has a habit of jumping up to the inner gate whenever I Leave it open. I always lift her down but she does this every time so she obviously doesn’t mind me lifting her down. It is one of her funny little habits.

I thought I would show Storm’s egg for comparison. These girls are the same size and yet their eggs are quite different. Cloud’s is longer. It has a blood streak on it but so far there has only ever been blood on the first eggs so it’s nothing to worry about.

So one girl stops laying and another girl starts taking us back to three again. Last year Mango started laying the day after Cloud so I am expecting her to start soon as well.